Crackly Topped Fudge Brownies
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon coarse Kosher salt
2 teaspoons espresso powder
Preheat the oven to 325 F. Line an 8x8 inch baking pan with parchment paper.
In a large saucepan, melt the butter and sugar over medium heat. Once it begins to bubble, cook for two minutes. Remove from the heat and use a wooden spoon to stir in the chocolate chips and vanilla until melted and shiny; the mixture will be grainy. Let cool for 10 minutes.
Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until the mixture comes together into a smooth batter.
In a bowl, sift together the cocoa powder, flour, salt and espresso powder. Add the dry ingredients to the batter and mix just until no dry streaks remain. The batter will be thick but spreadable.
Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake on the center oven rack for exactly 25 minutes - don't over-bake! The brownies will be browned and crackled on top and slightly puffed. Cool the brownies completely (at least 6 hours or overnight) before cutting, if you want them to be set when you cut them. (If you don't mind them warm and gooey and messy, then you can go ahead and cut them after cooling for just a couple of hours.)
Lift the cooled brownies out of the pan by the parchment paper onto a cutting board to cut them into servings.
Yields 9-16 brownies
Recipe from Curly Girl Kitchen