Feb 2009

Bake-Sale Brownies

Remembering how much I loved receiving sweet and edible packages during my college years, I surprised my lovely cousin Jackie (a college frosh) with homemade brownies for her 19th birthday. These way-better-than-Betty-Crocker treats come from the America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook. With their high sugar content, brownies have a stubborn way of sticking to baking pans even after they’ve cooled. The Test Kitchen’s ingenious aluminum foil sling makes for super-easy removal and serving.

  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into chunks
  • 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2/3 cup all-purpose flour

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 Degrees. Line an 8-inch square pan with foil then coat lightily with vegetable oil spray. Melt the butter and chocolate together in the microwave, stirring often, 1 to 3 minutes. Let the mixture cool slightly.

Whisk the sugar, eggs, vanilla, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl until combined. Whisk in the melted chocolate mixture until smooth. Stir in the flour until no streaks remain.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few crumbs attached, 22 to 27 minutes.

Let cool completely on a wire rack to room temperature, about 2 hours, before removing the brownies from the pan using the foil and cutting into squares.

Makes 9 large brownies.

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14 thoughts on “Bake-Sale Brownies

  1. Boots – Trader Joe’s baking chocolate. It worked like a charm. I wouldn’t expecting anything less than perfection from America’s Test Kitchen.

  2. I can’t wait to try these brownies. I’m always done for good brownies! We live in Houston and Blue Bell on top of this would be divine! Can’t wait to get started. Kudos.
    -Sylvia
    Cigar Ratings

  3. My go-to brownie recipe. Basic and easy. Results perfect and delicious every time.

  4. I am really looking for a big batch brownie recipe that I can use to make brownies when I am baking for a crowd or a bake sale. Like for a half sheet pan or a 9 x 13 pan that I can double. Nice between a chewy and a little cakey. I don’t ice my brownies but drizzle them with almost melted frosting. Sets up and is wonderful but not as sweet as if frosted over all of them. Always looking for new brownie recipes as my family’s favorite dessert snack.

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