Fudge Brownies

Instructions

1. Heat your oven to 350°F and line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang for easy removal later. This size pan gives you the perfect thickness for fudgy squares.
2. Set up a double boiler with barely simmering water and melt the butter and chopped chocolate together, stirring occasionally until completely smooth and glossy. The mixture should look unified, not streaky.

   ⏱ 5 min
3. Pull the chocolate mixture off the heat and immediately whisk in the sugar until it's fully incorporated. The mixture will look thick and shiny — exactly what you want for dense brownies.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until the mixture is completely smooth. Finish by whisking in the vanilla extract until evenly distributed.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt until there are no lumps. This step prevents pockets of flour in your finished brownies.
6. Add the flour mixture to the chocolate base and fold gently with a spatula until you can't see any dry flour. Stop as soon as everything comes together — overmixing leads to tough brownies.
7. If you're using chocolate chips, fold them in now with just a few gentle strokes. They'll add pockets of melted chocolate throughout each bite.
8. Scrape the batter into your prepared pan and spread it evenly with an offset spatula. The batter will be thick, so take your time getting it level.
9. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it — not wet batter, but not completely clean either. This is the sweet spot for fudgy texture.

   ⏱ 35 min
10. Let the brownies cool completely in the pan before attempting to cut them. Hot brownies will fall apart, but patience rewards you with clean, perfect squares that hold their shape.

    ⏱ 1 hr