Equipment
Ingredients
Chocolate Base
- 225 g unsalted butter, cubed
- 170 g unsweetened chocolate (100% cacao), chopped roughly
Structure & Flavor
- 400 g granulated sugar
- 4 eggs, room temperature
- 10 ml vanilla extract
- 3 g salt
Dry Goods & Mix-ins
- 95 g all-purpose flour
- 100 g walnut halves, toasted and roughly chopped
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbohydrates
- 34 g
- Fat
- 22 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 25 g
- Sodium
- 94 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 11 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 5 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 5 g
- Cholesterol
- 77 mg
- Potassium
- 180 mg
- Calcium
- 23 mg
- Iron
- 0.9 mg
- Magnesium
- 41 mg
- Phosphorus
- 92 mg
- Zinc
- 0.8 mg
- Vitamin A
- 116 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 0 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.3 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.5 mg
- Vitamin K
- 1 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.04 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.11 mg
- Niacin
- 0.4 mg
- Folate
- 16 mcg
- Water
- 13 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
- Caffeine
- 5 mg
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat your oven to 160°C/320°F. Line a 20cm (8-inch) square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides for lifting.
Toast the walnuts in the oven for 8-10 minutes until fragrant. Remove, let cool, and chop roughly.
In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt the butter and unsweetened chocolate together, stirring constantly until smooth. Remove from heat immediately.
Whisk the sugar into the warm chocolate mixture. It will look grainy; this is normal. Add the vanilla and salt.
Add the eggs one at a time, whisking vigorously after each addition. The batter should become glossy and pull away slightly from the sides of the pan.
Stir in the flour until just barely combined. Fold in the toasted walnuts gently. Do not overmix.
Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out with moist crumbs attached, not wet batter.
While the brownies bake, fill a large roasting pan or basin with ice and cold water (about 3cm deep).
IMMEDIATELY upon removing the brownies from the oven, place the hot pan directly into the ice bath. Be careful not to splash water into the brownies. Let sit in the ice bath for 15 minutes.
Remove from the water bath. Allow to cool completely at room temperature for at least 45 minutes before lifting out and cutting.
Chef's Notes
- The ice bath is non-negotiable for this recipe. It shocks the butter and chocolate into solidifying rapidly, creating the signature dense, truffle-like mouthfeel.
- Using 100% unsweetened chocolate allows us to add enough sugar to get a crust without making the interior cloyingly sweet.
- Because there is no chemical leavening (baking powder/soda), the vigorous whisking of the eggs provides the only lift.
- Cut these with a hot knife (dipped in hot water and wiped dry) for perfectly clean edges.
Storage
Refrigerator: 1 week — Texture becomes chewier when cold.
Freezer: 3 months — Wrap individually in parchment and foil.
Reheating: Eat room temperature or warm gently for 10 seconds.
Troubleshooting
Brownies are greasy or butter pooled on top
Cause: The chocolate and butter mixture was too hot when eggs were added, or the emulsion broke
Fix: Cannot be fixed after baking; absorb excess grease with a paper towel
Prevention: Ensure chocolate base is warm, not hot, and whisk eggs vigorously to emulsify
Cultural Context
The brownie is a quintessentially American invention, first appearing in the late 19th century. This specific variation borrows technique from French ganache making, utilizing a thermal shock to manipulate the crystallization of fats for a denser, more luxurious texture than the traditional cake-like brownie.
