One Bowl Wonder: Nutty, Salted, Brownies

Nutty, Salted, Brownies
makes 10-18 brownies depending on pan size and how large the pieces are cut

I don’t know that there is anything more comforting than spending the weekend with family, decorating for Christmas and making a batch of homemade, chocolatey, super nutty, salted brownies. Perfect for sharing, hoarding or PMSing, these brownies hit the mark every time.

They’re simple to make, easy clean up and if you wanna impress someone with little effort, one bowl brownies are the way to go. Over the years I’ve modified the Bakers One Bowl Brownie recipe and have landed in a better place with the recipe, but I suppose that depends on your opinion too. The brownies are fudgy, without being cakey, marbled with dense pockets of chocolate and chunk - that walnut bite is everything. I found myself sifting the flour and adding baking powder over the years to make a softer and chewier brownie, that I much enjoyed over a flat dense brownie. Either way, you can eat these alone with a tall glass of milk or milk tea. Dare to scoop vanilla ice cream on top and enjoy them warm and a la mode. And, as much as I like to squirrel away chocolate for myself, these tasted much better shared with my aunt and uncle over afternoons and evenings together; times to remember and treasure.

First things first, you’ll need one 4 oz bar of Bakers Unsweetened Chocolate and 1 stick (1/2 cup) of butter (salted or unsalted is a-ok in my baking book for these because I make ‘em with a salty punch)

You’ll wanna cut the chocolate bar into pieces or shave it (if you wanna invest that time) for easier melting with the butter. You can choose to microwave the chocolate pieces and butter or create a double boiler by placing a pyrex bowl (heat safe glass) over a boiling pot of water. Either is fine, it’s a speed preference. But you must coarsely chop that chocolate so it melts into the butter, silky and smooth.

Next, you’ll want to crack 3 eggs (room temperature to keep the batter soft and warm) and gently mix with the chocolate and butter until combined. Put aside.

Sift together flour, baking powder and 1/2 the amount of salt

Gently, gently, mix the sifted dry ingredients into the warm, chocolatey, buttery, eggy, batter. Say that 10 times!

Now, get ready to mix in the remaining salt and coarsely chopped walnuts. Keep going, gently and slowly! There’s no rushing delicious brownies made with the heart.

Before you pour the batter into the pan, they should look like this. The batter will be very, very thick and you’ll also want a spoonful. I give you permission to eat raw brownie batter from the brownie Goddesses and myself. I did too. Shhhh.

After the bake, you’ll want them to cool for as long as you can emotionally and psychologically stand. For me, that’s roughly 10-15 minutes, then my brain and stomach are like “Hello, you have hot brownies in the kitchen. Go cut them dumb dumb.” So I cut them, hot, the knife covered in chocolate fudgy residue that I then remove with my finger and eat as my first sample. Then, of course, I eat the actual brownie. This time around, my aunt said to me “T, you’re gonna cut those brownies.” It’s not that I forgot, but I thought we’d have them later. They were enjoyed on Saturday afternoon, while my aunts friend visited with her dog. It was a chilly day, quiet, and perfect for a brownie with family and friends.

Brownie Ingredients

1x 4 oz bar of Bakers Unsweetened Chocolate
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
1 1/4 cups of sugar
3 eggs (room temperature)
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1 cup of flour
1 cup of chopped walnuts

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Line a square 9x9 pan or 13x9 pan with parchment paper and put aside
Melt chocolate and butter in the microwave or in a double boiler, remove from heat and stir until chocolate is melted
Add the sugar until fully mixed, add eggs and continue to mix until they’re absorbed in the batter
Add in half of the salt, baking powder and flour - mixing until combined
Stir in walnuts and remaining salt
Pour brownie batter into parchment lined baking pan and smooth out until batter is evenly distributed
Bake for 22-27 minutes if using a 13x9 pan and 35-45 minutes if using a 9x9 pan
Allow to cool and then cut into 2x2 squares