I’m pretty set in my ways when it comes to a lot of things in life and honestly, I’m ok with that. I acknowledge it and when I think it’s necessary, I can step outside of my comfort zone. One thing I was pretty certain about before this week – the kind of brownies I liked. I’ve discussed this in previous posts but to reiterate, cakey brownies = good and fudgy brownies = bad. In the introductory notes to this recipe Dorie specifically mentions that these are very fudgy brownies so I wasn’t particularly excited about them. I figured I’d bake them and ship them off to work with Shane.
I almost always try to taste a little bite of whatever I make so I can comment about my impression on the blog, so I sampled a little corner of one of the brownies after I cut them….and then I ate the rest of that brownie and had to walk away so I didn’t eat another and another and another. Best brownies I’ve ever had, hands down! They were perfection – fudgy and rich but not at all gooey. This is one instance where I was thrilled to be wrong, turns out I do like fudgy brownies, I just hadn’t tried the right ones – Rick Katz’s Brownies for Julia! My brownies were on the thin side because of the pan I used, but that didn’t bother me one bit. I’m psyched to have a go-to brownie recipe and since I am still planning to send these brownies to work with Shane I have a feeling I’ll be making another batch very soon!
I was glad I waited until Monday to bake this week because I got some great tips from Nancy and Di that probably saved me from having trouble with this recipe. Early reviewers described the brownies as gooey and underbaked so I was advised to either bake the full recipe in a 13 x 9 metal pan or 1/2 recipe in an 8-inch square metal pan (the recipe specified a 9×9 Pyrex pan for a full recipe). My only square metal pan is 9×9 so that’s what I used for a half recipe. I sprayed the pan with nonstick cooking spray, even though the recipe didn’t say to – better safe than sorry in my book. I knew my brownies would probably be thin so I kept a close eye on them. They were perfect at about 19-20 minutes. After they’d cooled completely I was able to cut them and remove them from the pan easily.
Many thanks to Tanya of Chocolatechic for hosting this week! You can find the recipe on her site or on page 91 of the book. The rest of this week’s brownies can be seen by visiting the TWD blogroll.
Nice going with the pan size – I like the thin look to them (I think that means you can eat more)! And glad you ventured into the land of fudgy… it’s a good place to go! Looks great Tracey!
Best brownie, wow! Well, the guys loved them very much and I have made them three times now…something about the crunchy top with the gooey middle is what has them so excited. Yours look beautiful. I will try the larger pan. I did try an 11 by 7 and that worked well, but again, I left them in longer. Will try even the larger size next time, and the advantage of that is that you also get more bars! Important around here with a lot of swimmers lounging around.
I’m so glad this was a win! Waiting to bake definitely has its advantages. I made mine in a metal 9×9 and they had to bake a few minutes longer but they were wonderful. I might make them again tonight!
Glad you enjoyed these! They look fudgy and delicious!
Oh Tracey, once again your brownies put mine to shame. I made mine well ahead of time and NOW I’m kicking myself for it because the notes and tips would have helped and probably yielded a better brownie.
Great job, seriously… these look awesome!!
Welcome to the fudgy side….muahahahahaha!
I really should have made mine in a 9×13 pan.
These were my favorite brownies, too! I actually like fudgy, so I stuck with original directions and got thicker brownies that kind of had four elements – cakey bottom, then that fudgey layer like yours, then some meltiness, then the thin top crispy bit. I thought they were perfect! And thanks for posting, b/c seeing this in my Google Reader reminded me to do my own post. Off to do that now 😉
I like cakey brownies too, but maybe like you, I just haven’t tried the right ones. So… I’m guessing you like these over the KA ones?
I’m glad you liked these! I really liked it too, but I’m not a fudgy brownie person. 🙂
isn’t it nice to be surprised?? These were really good. Definitely a keeper.
YOurs look really tasty.
Yep – these were awesome! I agree, and I’m pretty picky about my brownies.
great job!! I’m so glad that you enjoyed these so much!!! That was smart on changing the pan size!
These were pure bliss! I baked mine in muffin tins because I like edges. Another 5 star TWD!
They look great. Glad you enjoyed them so much.
Everyone seemed to like these and I am glad because they are delicious. Yours are calling my name.
So glad you loved them!
I wish I had baked them thinner! Yours look great! Absolute perfection!
How exciting to find the perfect brownie! These look delicious!
Wow, those do look perfectly rich and fudgy – but also baked all the way through, like brownies should be!
Good call on your pan size. I also sprayed my pan, even though it didn’t say to. I didn’t want to take the brownies out of the oven and have to eat them from the pan because they were stuck to it. Yours look like perfection!
Thin is in! Those brownies look great. I’m glad you found a new treat to enjoy.
Those look deliciously fudgy. Glad you liked it that much. I’ll have to try these sometime (although I have a fav brownie recipe already: Nick Malgieri’s “Supernatural Brownies”). I like fudgy brownies but they can’t be so fudgy that it’s like you’re eating brownie batter.
I’m in the cakey camp as well. These brownies must have superpowers to sway a cakey person into the fugdy camp!
I have a couple of squares tucked away in my freezer, so am looking forward trying them. I like your thin version…they look pretty darn tasty!
It’s one of those rare times that being wrong is oh so right! Glad you enjoyed the brownies 🙂
Perfect looking brownies.Im glad you loved them too. It was a great recipe..nice and fudgey.
Glad that you enjoyed these! They aren’t my favorite, but they are pretty darn good. And they’re better cold. =)
I like the thinner brownies and these look great. So glad you found a “best ever” and are a fudgy convert. 😉
Your brownies look perfect! Always great when you unexpectedly like a recipe. I haven’t really loved any of Dorie’s brownie recipes, so I only made a small batch and I think a larger one will be necessary soon.
I used a larger pan too !! Great looking guys !
These were definitely very tasty brownies!
The recipe link is broken can you tweet it to me at @carlabobka? Thx, I’m dying to make them in today’s snowstorm. Thx,
I’m totally with you on these brownies – absolutely fantastic! Mine were thin, too, and that was perfect because they’re so rich.
Your brownies look awesome! These were really really good. People at work loved them…I don’t get that many comments anymore about the stuff I bring in because they are all used to it…but these brownies had people asking for the recipe.
I am a TWD dropout, but these look fabulous! I think I need to crack open my Dorie cookbook and make these babies very soon!
I’m a little jealous yours came out so well! glad you liked them
What beautiful brownies – I think the larger pan/thinner brownie is the way to go. They are addictive and dangerous to keep around the house!
Well, glad you’ve joined the fudgy side of life. Plus its always a bonus to discover something new. Even if you are all set in your tastes. hehe Great photos Tracey.
AmyRuth