chewy brownies recipe – use real butter (2024)

chewy brownies recipe – use real butter (1) Recipe: chewy brownies

I’m learning to say no.

Sometimes I’m too enthusiastic and take on more than I should – more than is good for me. I do try to be careful about saying yes to everything and short-changing myself and everyone else. That’s why I think saying no is just as important as saying yes because I don’t like myself when I’m spread too thin. I thought about this while I was in Yosemite last week as I had a lot of time in my own head and offline.


el capitan in late afternoon

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After rummaging around my thoughts, I decided to make a few course corrections which all boil down to de-cluttering my life both literally and figuratively. I know I’m being vague. All you need to know is that I’m feeling good about it… feeling like my priorities are back on track. And speaking of priorities, I was passing through the produce section of Whole Foods in Boulder the other day when I spied Buddha’s hand citron. As you can guess, I totally bought (remember me, the hoard shopper) the hell out of them because I had to make this Buddha’s hand citron vodka. I’ve got 2 gallons infusing as I type because in addition to making great lemon drop martinis they also make fantastic gifts.


buddha’s hand… ever see district 9?

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do not open until december 25

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But Jen, you don’t do Christmas! This is true, however the end of the year is a great time to express your appreciation to those you rely upon for their services or friendships. I enjoy making handmade gifts of the edible persuasion and it seems that our recipients rather like them too. I tend to mix it up from year to year because variety is the spice of life. One evening last month, I tweeted “chewy or cakey brownies?” and everyone chimed in with their preferences. I had forgotten to include fudgy brownies in the choices. The majority stood behind chewy or fudgy, but whatever they stood behind, they were adamant about it. I didn’t know people were so particular about the texture of their brownies!


butter and chocolate

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melting over a hot water bath

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By the time I logged off of Twitter, people were grumbling that they were craving brownies with nary a brownie to eat and thanks a lot, Jen… I went back to my Fine Cooking archives in search of a brownie article they did over ten years ago. I remembered it had a recipe for chewy brownies – my favorites.


pour in sugar

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stir in the eggs

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The article covered all three kinds of brownies (cakey, chewy, fudgy), blondies, and brownie cookies. My first batch came out a little dry (my fault, I was multi-tasking). The second batch that you see below was perfectly chewy. The batter will be thick and greasy. That’s normal. I was worried at first, but it does eventually smooth out into recognizable brownies. Just make sure you pat it down evenly in the pan.


cocoa powder

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scrape the batter into the pan

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What I love about brownie recipes is that they are generally quick and simple to make. Not to mention people are crazy for brownies. Therefore brownies should be distributed often and with gusto. It’s a chocolate baked good that fits in your hand – that’s essentially a 2-inch square of love!


slice the brownies when they cool

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chewy is my favorite

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Chewy Brownies
[print recipe]
from Fine Cooking issue #34 (September 1999)

4 oz. unsalted butter, plus a little to grease the pan
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1 1/2 cups sugar
scant 1/4 tsp salt
2 tsps vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature
4.5 oz. (1 cup) flour
2 tbsps cocoa powder (NOT Dutch-processed)

Oven: 350°F. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and then butter the parchment. Melt the butter and chocolate in a double boiler (I just use my Kitchen Aid mixing bowl) over simmering water. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Stir in the sugar, salt, and vanilla. Beat the eggs in one at a time until blended. Add flour and cocoa and beat until the batter is just smooth. Pour the batter into the pan and bake on center rack in oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean (a few moist crumbs are okay, but no goop). This should take about 35 to 45 minutes. Set on a rack until cool enough to handle. Loosen edges with a knife and invert the brownie. Peel the parchment off the bottom, flip the brownies right-side-up and let cool completely. Cut with a sharp knife. Makes 16 2-inch square brownies.

November 18th, 2010: 12:50 am
filed under baking, chocolate, dessert, recipes, sweet

chewy brownies recipe – use real butter (2024)

FAQs

What happens if you use melted butter instead of softened for brownies? ›

If you want a fudgy chocolate brownie, use melted butter. For cakey brownies, beating softened butter and sugar together to create air pockets will make your brownies lighter and cakier.

Is it better to use butter for brownies? ›

Oil Brownies: These were chewier with crunchier edges and a crunchier topping. They were more matte on top with a far less crinkly shiny brownie 'skin. ' They tasted more like box mix brownies. Butter Brownies: These were much fudgier, softer, and had a melt-in-your-mouth texture.

Can I use butter instead of margarine in brownies? ›

You should be able to substitute butter for margarine in almost any recipe, unless the recipe specifically states not to. Just be aware the substitution may affect the flavor in your final results.

Can you use butter instead of milk in brownies? ›

For similar reasons to using milk, butter adds a rich and more decadent quality to the batter. Finally, try substituting egg yolks instead of using the whole egg listed in the ingredients of your box brownie mix. Egg yolk has a higher fat content, so this will make your brownies fudgier.

Why can't you use melted butter instead of softened? ›

Softened butter and melted butter are not the same. Using melted butter will change the texture of whatever you're baking. If you only want the butter to soften for spreading, microwave it on the Defrost setting (30%) in 5-second increments until it's softened as desired.

How does butter affect brownies? ›

Granted, there is no harm in adding plain butter to your brownies, but as RealSimple explains, you'd be missing out on plenty of extra flavor. By adding brown butter, RealSimple elaborates, you add a rich and toasty flavor to your brownies that pairs perfectly with the gooey, melting chocolate of the final bake.

Do brownies taste better with butter or oil? ›

the butter brownies actually had a fudgier texture. they were softer, and they really just melted in your mouth. they also had that shiny crust and just better flavor, whereas the oil brownies were actually chewier. they were crunchier at the top and at the edges.

What kind of butter is best for baking brownies? ›

European butter is churned to have a higher milk fat content of at least 82%, while North American butter typically has around 80% milk fat. Gay Lea's Bakers Gold surpasses even European standards with 84% milk fat, making this unsalted, culinary-grade option the ideal choice for the finest baked goods.

Is too much butter bad for brownies? ›

The right amount of butter and chocolate is very important for making brownies. Too much butter and too little chocolate can spoil the texture of the brownie.

What happens if you use butter instead of oil in brownie mix? ›

As the team at Betty Crocker explains, you can substitute butter for oil in brownies by using the same measurements. Simply melt the butter down and let it cool slightly before adding it to the mix. Because of butter's taste and texture, it might even improve the recipe.

How much butter do I substitute for brownies? ›

You can absolutely substitute butter for the vegetable oil. Use the same quantity specified in the directions (for example, if it calls for 1/3 cup of oil, use 5 1/3 tablespoons of butter). Melt it down, then let it cool a bit. You might not ever go back to oil!

How much butter instead of oil in brownies? ›

Replacing Oil with Butter

It couldn't be easier to substitute butter for oil using a 1:1 ratio. This should work with olive, canola, vegetable, and coconut oils. Simply melt and cool the butter to room temperature, then continue with your recipe. (If the recipe calls for ½ cup oil, use ½ cup melted and cooled butter.)

How to make brownie mix more chewy? ›

For the fudgiest brownie possible, swap all of the recommended water for milk — the extra fat will thicken the batter. If you'd prefer to mix the two for a still-chewy brownie that isn't overly chewy, add an equal milk-to-water ratio to brownie mix.

How much butter for 1/2 cup of oil? ›

When substituting vegetable oil with butter in a recipe, the conversion ratio is not always one-to-one. However, as a rough estimate, you can use the following guideline: 1/2 cup vegetable oil is approximately equivalent to 1/2 cup (1 stick or 8 tablespoons) of butter.

Can you use salted butter for baking brownies? ›

Anytime a recipe calls for butter you should always use unsalted butter. Using salted butter will result in salty brownies that might not rise well.

Can you use melted butter in brownie mix? ›

Unsalted melted butter – Most box brownie recipes call for vegetable oil, but swapping it out with with melted butter helps create chewy, fudgy texture with rich bakery-style flavor. Egg – Since its moisture prevents brownies from becoming dry & crumbly, an egg also helps create the perfect fudgy texture.

What happens if you use melted butter instead of softened for chocolate chip cookies? ›

Using melted butter in cookies helps you achieve a similar fudgy-yet-cooked texture and prevents any unwanted cakiness. Instead of the rise coming from both chemical and physical leavening agents (baking soda/powder + creamed butter), it now comes almost exclusively from chemical agents alone.

What happens if you don't soften butter before baking? ›

Often, baking recipes calling for softened butter rely on air bubbles to form during mixing, which gives baked goods a lighter texture. Melted butter won't allow this to happen much and the texture of your baked good won't be as good. If your using it for baking, it will not incorporate into batters or dough evenly.

What happens if you use melted butter instead of softened for cake? ›

By swapping out softened butter for melted, you reduce the amount of air that's trapped in the batter and rely exclusively on the power of chemical leavening agents (in this case, baking powder) to do the heavy lifting.

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