Everyone needs a standby chocolate brownie recipe at home and it has to be the best one. Mine is a cakey crust with a fudgy interior.
Chocolate selection
Because of the amount of sugar that brownie usually contain, it is important that you use a good quality high percentage cocoa coverture chocolate for the best taste result. My all time favorite chocolate is Callebaut Madagascar Dark chocolate with 67.4% cacao. If you can find a 70% or 80% cacao chocolate, that is even better!
Baking time
With one brownie recipe baked at a different duration can yield quite a significantly different end product. If you want to have a softer interior, check your brownie at 30 minutes mark. I personally love cakey brownie that is baked at the outer part but still fudgy in the center. I baked mine at 175°C for 35 minutes mark. Remember that you will need to leave the brownie to cool in the pan for a little while after baking and that will cook the brownie a little further as it cools in the hot baking tin. So you need to factor that in.
Remember, if you are using a larger baking pan that your brownie will be thinner, therefore baking time will be different or shorter for the desired result.
Different oven and where you position the brownie during baking can play a factor on how your brownie will turn out but generally around 30 minutes to 35 minutes mark is a good guideline.
If you do under baked your brownie, simply place it back into the oven for a couple more minutes. If you over baked your brownie, don't stress over it, it will still be delicious. The good thing about this brownie is that even if you may have overbaked it, the ganache that goes on top will compensate for that downfall!
Recipe
Makes 9 x generous portion
Equipment: (20 cm x 20 cm), 4 cm depth square baking tin
250g Melted butter
250g Melted dark chocolate
200g Caster sugar
150 g Light Brown Sugar
250 eggs (5 Large Eggs)
1tsp Vanilla extract
150g Plain flour
1/2 g Salt
1 tbsp. Coffee Powder
Chocolate Ganache
100g Cream 35% Fat
20g Glucose
10 g Unsalted butter
Note: You can use any other milk chocolate for the ganache recipe.
Method
For the brownie
Spray the brownie pan with some oil and line a strip of parchment paper with over hangings on both sides. This will allow you to remove the baked brownie out from the oven with ease.
1. Place the butter and chocolate together into a bowl over a warm water bath until fully melted. Set aside and let it cool to below 45 °C.
2. Place the sugars and eggs into a stand mixer bowl fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix over medium speed until well combined.
3. Add in the cooled melted chocolate mix and mix until smooth then add in the sifted plain flour followed by the salt and coffee powder. Continue to mix the ingredients together until you can no longer see any lumps of dry mixture. (At this point, your mixture should look shiny and smooth)
4. Pour the brownie mix into a prepared 20 cm x 20cm (4 cm in depth) square tin and level with an offset spatula or a scraper. Bake at 175°C for 35 minutes.
5. Remove the baking tin from the oven and leave to completely cool in the tin before adding the ganache on top.
Note: There should be around 1- 2 cm gap between the rim of the baking tin and the top of the brownie after baking to allow you space to pour the ganache on top. If you do not have a deep enough baking tin, simply make the ganache and let it cool at room temperature overnight or in the fridge for 3 hours or until the ganache reaches a spreadable consistency and simply spread the thickened ganache on top of the cooled brownie.
For the Ganache
1. Place the cream and glucose into a saucepan over the heat and bring to a mere boil to around 80-85°C.
2. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and leave for about 1 minute then stir with a spatula until all the chocolate have fully melted. Add the butter and emulsify with the help of a stick blender.
3. Pour the ganache over the top of the cooled brownie and spread to smooth out. Leave to rest in the fridge until the ganache have fully set.
4. Remove the brownie with the ganache topping and cut them in to individual squares. I made mine in generous 9 x portions but if you like you can cut them smaller.
Storage
Brownie stored in the fridge can keep for up to 2 weeks.
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