Cocoa Brownies
15 min
Prep Time
25 min
Cook Time
40 min
Total Time
16
Servings
Ingredients
- 10 tablespoons (145 g) unsalted butter
- 1¼ cups (250 g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons (75 g) unsweetened cocoa powder, spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 large cold eggs
- ½ cup (65 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- ⅔ cup (80 g) chopped walnuts, pecans, or chocolate chips, optional
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 325°F with a rack in the middle. Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment or foil, leaving an overhang.
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low. Turn off the heat. While it is still hot, stir in the sugar, cocoa, vanilla, and salt. It will look gritty. Cool 5–10 minutes until warm, not hot.
- Beat in the cold eggs one at a time, stirring hard after each.
- Add the flour and beat until the batter is very thick and pulls away from the pan. Stir in nuts or chips if using.
- Spread in the pan (it is stiff). Bake 20–30 minutes, until the edges look set and the center is slightly underbaked. A toothpick should come out with moist batter.
- Cool completely in the pan before lifting out and cutting. They firm up as they cool.