World's Best Brownies - fork and flower

soon after launching the best in class series, i’m back! it’s got to be said that i’m fully aware that throwing around me with superlatives like “legendary”, “perfect”, “best in class”, “genius”, “classic” or “world’s best” in the combination with food might be tempting (especially as a food blogger, who wants to trick readers – i.e. you – into reading their recipes) – but sometimes counter-productive. because as an avid foodie i know that nothing is more daunting and inducing suspicion and boredom more than using exactly these superlatives in a recipe. “yeah, right”, is basically the thought i have every time i meet a superlative recipe, anywhere. yet, superlative recipes somehow (and it’s not easy to admit) seem to spike my curiosity, and maybe also a sense of wanting to meet the implicit challenge.

due to a combination of unrelated and as such insignificant events – like the fact that i had a couple of dozen really lovely, fresh, big eggs at home from the online farm shop farmy.ch or the fact that i ran out of desserts i wanted to make (although i always thought my list of desserts to make was endless, nah) – i stumbled upon this recipe, and, with a sigh, set to make these so-called “simply perfect brownies”. with quite some lack of interest and suspicion, i might add (because it’s the food blogger codex, or something).[gap height=”20″]

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also, i couldn’t, for the life of the hens that laid these eggs (and god bless them), identify a single ingredient or thing in the recipe that didn’t just sound like a normal brownie. but i’m naturally curious, always have been, so i guess it was just fate. the only thing that appeared to bit a tad different was the fact that the recipe asked for a bain-marie process, i.e. slow and indirect melting of the ingredients in question in a bowl over heated water. i love me some good extra work and things to clean, so, another reason, maybe, to try these, in spite of everything. enough with the rationale, though, let’s take a look at the finished product, shall we?

and yet indeed, these brownies are more than simply perfect, as allie (almost humbly) dubbed them. they are at least ultimate. life changing, even, maybe. they are spongy and ultra moist and not too sweet and rich and dark chocolaty and intense and fluffy and airy. just… utterly delicious. so good you want to crawl into one slice and never come back out. because life in this brownie would be worth while.

in other words, who hasn’t grabbed a couple of eggs* and a spatula, yet, is an utter fool (pardon my french) or maybe just an ignorant dick-head (now you can actually pardon my french, if you might). i know a couple of people who would like to just lick the bowl, too, should you need help with the cleaning.

* re. really good eggs: for my readers who are located in switzerland: you now have the exclusive chance to get a 20 chf discount on your first purchase on farmy! just enter the code APFELBAUM15.

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world’s best brownies
recipe adapted from here (note: i’m sorry i was a doubter, your recipe sure is perfect!)
for a rectangular pan (about 30 x 20cm)

ingredients:
1 1/4 cups (370 g) butter
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups unsweetened dark chocolate powder*
1/2 tsp salt
1 vanilla bean, scraped
4 eggs (cold
1 cup flour

* the chocolate powder really has to be unsweetened! the richer and chocolaty, the better. it’s vital for a good quality brownie. alas, even in switzerland – the land of cheese and chocolate – laying your hands on a good chocolate powder can be quite tricky… rather ironic. i got mine from felchlin, through a gastronomer. i think they only sell b2b. but apparently there’s the fabrikladen as an alternative. or you might try with your local confiserie of your choice. maybe they sell you some of their stock.

directions:
preheat the oven to 160 c / 320 f and lightly grease and then layer a rectangular baking pan (30 x 20 cm) with parchment paper. heat a large pot with water and top it with a bowl, creating a bain-marie for melting your ingredients softly. add butter, sugar, chocolate powder and salt in the bowl above the heated water. stir slowly and steadily to bring everything together. this might take a while, don’t despair! when the mixture is liquid and hot remove from the heat and let cool slightly. work in the vanilla. one by one, add the cold eggs and stir thoroughly to combine. the mixture should be homogenous and look glossy. sieve in the flour and fold in. pour into the prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes or until a stick inserted comes out clean / with moist crumbs on it. let cool in the pan completely, then you might even put the pan in the fridge for a while to let the brownies set and firm up completely. cut into squares and serve, maybe with a scoop of vanilla ice cream?

World’s Best Brownies

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