Simple Fudgy Brownies
When a super-easy, yet rich chocolate dessert is in order, these Simple Fudgy Brownies, adapted from Alice Medrich, are the answer. An unusual technique creates incredibly dense, dark, and delicious brownies!
The keys to this Best Brownie Recipe are a paper-thin, slightly crinkled top and a soft, fudgy interior. It’s what chocolate lovers crave and what brownie aficionados will adore!
Why You Should Make
- This is an Alice Medrich brownie recipe. She’s an author, pastry chef, and former owner of the renowned chocolate dessert shop, Cocolat. She is known for Americanizing the chocolate truffle. Her recipes are phenomenal.
- Her unusual technique makes one of the Best Fudgy Brownie Recipes you’ll ever taste!
- If you have a chocolate lover near and dear to you, this Fudgy Brownies Recipe is the perfect treat.
Ingredient Notes
- Butter – It’s OK to use salted butter as salt is a flavor enhancer; the small amount won’t make the brownies taste salty. If you use unsalted butter, make sure to add the salt called for in the recipe.
- Unsweetened Chocolate (affiliate link)- Use the best chocolate you can afford. Ghirardelli bars are good (and what I use), but Scharffen Berger is the best (use for a special occasion).
- Granulated (white) Sugar – Regular white sugar.
- Bown Sugar (affiliate link)- Adds extra moisture and caramel undertones.
- Vanilla Extract (affiliate link) – Use only pure vanilla extract. Imitation vanilla cannot compete. I use the Nielsen-Massey brand.
- Table Salt – Fine salt incorporates more easily than kosher salt.
- Eggs – Have at room temperature for easy blending. I will often set them in a bowl of very hot, not boiling water, to gently warm them if I don’t get them out of the refrigerator ahead of time.
- All-Purpose Flour (affiliate link) – I use the King Arthur brand, but any AP flour works well.
How to Make
Expert Tips
This Alice Medrich-inspired recipe has one of the most unusual baking techniques I’ve seen. But it’s worked each time I’ve made these winners! They’re an irresistible cross between brownies and fudge! Plus, they’re perfect for the chocoholics in your life!
- These Fudgy Brownies are baked at 400°F for only 20 minutes before being plunged into an ice bath. Weird, huh? But don’t knock ’em till you bake ’em!
- But besides this out-of-the-box method, there are a few tips for making brownies, like lining your pan with non-stick foil for easy removal and cutting.
- PRO-Tip: Use a Metal Pan (affiliate link), NOT a glass or Pyrex pan. The glass could shatter when you place the pan of hot brownies into ice water.
- PRO-Tip: Line your pan with foil for easy removal when they’re cool and easy cleanup! You can use Non-Stick Foil (affiliate link), if you have it on hand or spray regular foil with Pam.
- I like microwaving my chocolate and butter to avoid having an extra pan to wash. Do it gently by stopping, stirring, and restarting until melted. I typically use 30-second increments, then shorter zaps as the chocolate melts.
- You can stop when there are a few small unmelted bits, as the residual heat will continue the melting process. You can always microwave a few seconds more if your chocolate isn’t completely smooth. You do not want to overheat, as that can ruin the chocolate.
- PRO-Tip: Mix by hand so you don’t add any extra air into the batter.
- Use a Wooden Spoon or Silicone Spatula (affiliate links) and mix until the flour is incorporated.
- PRO-Tip: Placing the pan in an ice bath when it comes out of the oven will help minimize carryover cooking. This is when the heat of the pan continues to cook the brownies. Make sure your ice bath is shallow enough that water doesn’t get into the pan.
- Chill before cutting for perfect squares, but serve at room temperature.
Frequently Asked Questions
First, they’re baked at a high heat for brownies, 400°F instead of 350°F. Then, after they’re pulled out of the oven, the pan is set in an ice water bath to stop the cooking process.
Putting the hot pan into an ice water bath stops the cooking process. The batter contracts, and the brownies become dense and the flavor intensifies.
Look at the recipe ingredients. Fudgy brownies have a higher ratio of fat to flour. For Alice Medrich’s New Classic Brownies recipe, the fat comes from 2 eggs (the yolks), 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, and ½ cup butter. The flour amount is ½ cup, so there is definitely more fat than flour.
Not over-cooking and not incorporating too much air into the batter also helps make for fudgier results. I mix with a wooden spoon instead of a hand mixer.
Coffee and/or espresso accentuates the flavor of chocolate without making the result taste like coffee. Adding a tablespoon of coffee or a teaspoon of Espresso Powder (affiliate link) to the batter will give a boost to the chocolate flavor.
More of the Best Brownie Recipes
- Fudgy Kahlua Brownies
- French Silk Pie Brownies
- White Chocolate Brownies
- Truffle Brownies
- Fudgy Skillet Brownies
- More of the Best Brownie Recipes
- Plus all our favorite Chocolate Recipes
Simple Fudgy Brownies
Dense, simple fudgy brownies adapted from Alice Medrich's New Classic Brownies.
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons butter
- 4 ounces of unsweetened chocolate, chopped
- ¾ cups sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400º. Line an 8-inch square metal baking pan with nonstick foil.
- Melt butter and chocolate in the microwave stopping every 30 seconds to stir. When almost completely melted, stir until smooth.
- Stir in sugars, vanilla, and salt.
- Stir in eggs one at a time, followed by the flour. Stir until very smooth, about 1 minute, until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
- Spread batter in prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes.
- Prepare a water bath. Pour ice water into a large roasting pan or kitchen sink to a depth of about 1 inch.
- Remove pan from oven and place in a water bath...avoid getting any water on brownies. Let cool completely, then lift out and cut squares.
Notes
Do not use a glass pan as it will shatter when placed in ice water.
Use the best quality chocolate you can afford for the best results.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16Serving Size:
1 brownieAmount Per Serving: Calories: 178Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 39mgSodium: 91mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 1gSugar: 15gProtein: 2g
We just returned from 2 weeks in Switzerland with a couple of days in the Italian lakes district and here it is Father’s Day. We needed something sweet!
Sleep deprivation and fancy, complicated desserts are not a good mix. When I asked the hubby what he wanted for Father’s Day, he replied, “Beer and Mousse.” Knowing him, beef was expected, too. As usual, I took liberty with his suggestion and decided on these super-rich brownies for dessert.
I discovered them in 2010, coincidentally after we arrived home from a family trip to Italy. Brownies and Chocolate Chip Cookies are my go-to desserts when the brain is fried. There are never any complaints.
Mini-photo of the kids at the Vatican, circa 2010. After this trip, Nick said I should make these simple fudgy brownies again ASAP.
35 Comments on “Simple Fudgy Brownies”
These brownies look delicious. What an interesting idea to plunge them in an Ice water bath after cooking, I will definitely try them. Welcome home Liz.
I loved seeing the pics from your trip on instagram. It looks like you guys had an amazing time! And these brownies sound soooo good. I’m definitely going to have to try them!
Awesome sharing, dear! xoxo
I loved ‘traveling’ along with your family and I am beyond impressed that your brain functioned enough to come up with these beauties! You crack me up with how your made the leap from mousse to brownies!!
So glad you had a great trip – I loved your photos on Facebook. What a special time as a family making memories to last a life time. And I love this simple, beautiful brownie recipe too! Just the perfect bite of that something sweet and chocolatey we need sometimes 🙂
Perfectly made as always Liz!
It has been so much fun following you along in Switzerland…what a fun trip. Jet lag is something that takes us longer to recover so glad you have a simple fudgy recipe to share with Bill for this Father’s Day dinner.
Amazing!! Granted, if I made these they wouldn’t MAKE it to dad 🙂
Happy Father’s Day to Mr. Picky eater. I hate jet lag, it really kills me. I hope you get back to your normal self, real soon. These brownies look awesome. I love a fudgy brownie and because it’s so moist, no need for a calorie laden frosting, so it’s also calorie reduced!
I always go for the fudgy brownie! These look so delicious! Perfectly cut and yummy! I may even have to have two!
That is unusual but if it works! It looks like you had a great trip, and a great dessert to come back to!
I love my brownies nice and fudgy. These look fabulous!
I never get tired of trying new brownie recipes and these definitely sound interesting. I have so enjoyed your vacation pics on Instagram and hope you had a wonderful time!
Hi Liz, I enjoyed seeing Switzerland through your pics on IG, so beautiful. And as for these brownies they sound wonderful, who could resist a cross between brownies and fudge. Interesting technique, will definitely have to try these. Pinned!
It sounds like you had a wonderful trip! Your brownies sound wonderful as well. I am looking forward to trying them!
Love the photos you’ve shared with your fabulous trip and these brownies just topped it off for you hubby I am sure! Happy Fathers Day to your wonderful hubby!
Love this one pan brownies! Fuss free, and the result is amazing, Liz.
If Alice Medrich says to plunge a brownie pan into an ice bath, I’ll do it! Wonderfully serendipitous that you’re making a chocolate recipe after returning from one of the world’s best places for chocolat! Trust you had a fantabulous time in both Switzerland and Italy =)
I will have to try this! So glad your trip was fun (loved the pics) and that you are back home! Thanks for sharing!
Liz,
I am glad you liked the recipe. Alex loves them as well, and like Nick he wants MORE! I even tried freezing some to stop Alex from munching on the brownies, but he ate them straight from the freezer!!!!
Sandra