Cocoa Powder Brownies
There are two schools of brownie makers. One uses melted chocolate and the other uses cocoa powder.
I usually use melted chocolate, but here’s a recipe for cocoa powder brownies for days when your little sister has eaten all the chocolate.
- 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-process)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cold large eggs
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup walnut or pecan pieces (optional)
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Grease an 8 x 8 inch and line with parchment paper or foil to make getting the brownies out of the pan.
Heat the sugar, butter, cocoa and salt in the top of a double boiler or in a heatproof bowl sitting in a pan of simmering water. Stir from time to time till the butter melted and the mixture is smooth and hot. Remove from heat and let the mixture cool down to warm.
Stir in the vanilla using a wooden spoon. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring hard after each.
Add the flour and stir well. Then, using the wooden spoon or a rubber spatula, beat the batter as hard as you can for one minute. till you can’t see it any longer, then beat it vigorously for 40 stroke with wooden spoon or rubber spatula.
Stir in the nuts if you’re using them.
Pour it into the pan and make sure it’s spread out nice and evenly.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until set on top but a little gooey inside. Cool completely. Cut into squares.
Eat.
Cocoa powder brownies. As good as the melted chocolate variety!
Adapted from Bittersweet by Alice Medrich.
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