Fudgy Brownies with Salted Chocolate Ganache
Hi sweet souls! Can you believe we’re halfway through the summer? I’m still in disbelief at how fast this month-summer-year has gone by! I’m relishing these last few moments of carefreeness (did I just make up a word?), uninterrupted moments for baking and recipe-testing, and sleeping in before heading back to law school in August.
It felt so strange having so much free time at the beginning of the summer. Confession: I was a little sad when summer break started—weird, I know. During my 1L year, the workload was insanely demanding. I’m not kidding when I say that there was always something that I needed to be doing. Then the semester ended and I was blindsided by the change in my routine. I felt like I had lost the momentum I had during the school year. It was as if I had forgotten how to relax after that grueling first year of law school. But now that summer is flying by, I want the clock to stop ticking! I’m finally back in the grove of things and enjoying my vacation time.
Speaking of relaxing, one night I just had a sudden craving for brownies. Dear boyfriend is always introducing me to new ways to enjoy food, and he pairs brownies with a side of ice cream. Even though there’s no wrong way to enjoy brownies (wink wink), if you’ve got some vanilla ice cream in the freezer then definitely toss it in a bowl with a warm brownie. Seriously, it’s like heaven in a bowl. Not even being dramatic, okay, well maybe a little bit.
Another confession: I’m not usually a big chocolate fan (probably blasphemy for a baking blogger). But these brownies may have changed my mind. My mouth is watering just looking at these photos again.
Fudgy. Chocolate-y. Ganache-y. Hello, this is perfection on a plate.
Recipe Standouts
Espresso powder — As a coffee-holic, I love the idea of adding espresso to my desserts. Here the espresso powder really complements and intensifies the chocolate flavor.
Double boiler method — My first few attempts at this brownie recipe used only cocoa powder. I was never satisfied with the result because the brownies retained a powder-y taste, and they were pretty unpleasant to eat. The trick to a good brownie is to also use melted chocolate.
Chocolate ganache topping — Who wouldn’t want to double up on the chocolate in this recipe? Don’t get me wrong, these brownies are good enough on their own. But if you’ve got the spare time to make the ganache topping then it’s definitely worth it. The addition of the sea salt on top creates a more complex flavor, and it can make an amateur baker seem like a pro.
So seriously ya’ll, enjoy life—no matter how fast or slow it seems to be moving. There will always be work to be done, but sometimes there won’t be. Take a breather and relax in those slow moments. Really. Find a good movie on Disney+ and whip up some brownies.
Fudgy Brownies with Salted Chocolate Ganache
Ingredients:
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp espresso powder
- 1 ½ cup dark brown sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ¼ cup dark chocolate chips
- 4 eggs, room temperature
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Sea salt for sprinkling on top
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Line an 8”x8” baking pan with parchment paper, letting the paper hang over two sides. Alternatively, grease a baking pan with butter and flour. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, shift the dry ingredients (flour, cocoa powder, salt, and espresso powder) and whisk together. Set aside.
- In a large bowl over simmering water, melt the butter and chocolate chips together until smooth. Take the mixture off the heat and stir in the brown sugar. Let cool (otherwise the eggs will curdle when you add them). Then beat in the eggs one at a time. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix until barely combined.
- Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with only a few crumbs attached. Let brownies cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes.
- In a microwave safe bowl, add the chocolate chips and heavy whipping cream. Heat for about one minute. Stir until combined. Let cool completely.
- Pour the chocolate ganache over the brownies, sprinkle with sea salt and enjoy!
