Recipe: Fudgy Brownies That Last Forever in the Freezer

Words by Jesse Hawes of Mon Pitou bakery.

I started making brownies for Triet when we first started dating. (To be honest they were mostly for me, but, hey, I had an excuse to share them with someone else, so why not!) I’ve tried many different recipes over the years, but Ina Garten’s have always been a favourite. I liked that they were more on the cakey and nutty side, but Triet preferred a more chewy and fudgy brownie so, of course, I had to make some adjustments. These brownies are seriously unreal and last forever in the freezer—fabulous for when you have unexpected company coming over.

Ingredients

1 lb unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 lb plus 6 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped

6 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped

6 oz milk chocolate chips

6 extra-large eggs

3 tbsp instant espresso (or 2 oz freshly brewed espresso)

2 tbsp pure vanilla extract

2¼ cups sugar

1¼ cups all-purpose flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp kosher salt

2 cups chopped walnuts

1 tbsp flaky salt, such as Maldon

Make It

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-by-18-inch sheet pan with parchment paper, leaving about an inch and a half of overhang on each side.

In a glass bowl over a pot of simmering water, melt together butter with 1 pound of semisweet chocolate plus all of the bittersweet chocolate, stirring constantly. Remove from heat when the chocolate and butter is mostly melted, and keep stirring until everything is completely melted. Let mixture cool for about 10 minutes.

While the chocolate is cooling, whisk together baking powder, kosher salt and 1 cup flour in a small bowl. In a medium bowl, toss walnuts, milk chocolate chips and remaining semisweet chocolate (you can also use dark chocolate chips) with the remaining ¼ cup of flour.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, coffee, vanilla and sugar. Fold in the slightly cooled chocolate with a rubber spatula. Add in flour mixture and vigorously mix everything until it has noticeably thickened and is becoming tough to stir. Fold in the chocolate and nut mixture.

Bake for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven. Slam pan down on your stovetop to release any air, then top brownies with flaked sea salt. Place pan back into the oven and bake for another 10 minutes.

Let brownies cool in the pan for about an hour. Place the pan into the freezer for at least 30 minutes before cutting. Makes 24 brownies.

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Originally published April 22, 2022