There’s Always Room for Chocolate

Since today is Valentine’s Day what better way to show your love than some rich chocolatey brownies. Special thanks to Rizzoli for allowing us to share this recipe with our members as well as the beautiful photo taken by Ben Fink. Be sure to head to our contest page to enter our giveaway for a copy of this tempting cookbook.

 

Makes 24 brownies
 

When we first started planning the menu for The Chocolate Room, we knew that we needed to serve a brownie. It couldn’t be just any brownie, though-it had to be a brownie so good that we’d never want to try another kind ever again. We love both cakey and chewy types, so we opted to combine the two and landed on what we think is the perfect combination. Light and cakey but also rich and moist, these brownies are our ideal. (They’re also the perfect base for our Brownie Sundae, page 87.) There is one trick to making these brownies: their texture depends on the use of Belcolade chocolate. Depending on the brand of chocolate you buy, you may end up with brownies that are lighter or denser than the ones we make in the café. But however they turn out, they will be delicious.
 

Vegetable oil spray 

2 cups cake flour 

¾ cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder 

2 teaspoons baking powder 

8 extra-large eggs 

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

½ teaspoon salt

12 ounces dark chocolate (preferably 60% cacao), coarsely chopped

2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter 

3¾ cups granulated sugar
 

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat the bottom and sides of a deep-sided sheet pan or a 12 x 16-inch baking pan with vegetable oil spray, line the bottom with parchment paper, and spray the top of the parchment.
 

2. Sift the cake flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder into a large bowl. In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, vanilla, and salt and whisk vigorously to combine. Set both bowls aside.

3. Melt the chocolate and butter together in the top of a double boiler, stirring to keep the chocolate from burning, or microwave them together in 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until they become liquid. Whisk the chocolate and butter briskly until combined.

4. Put the sugar into a large bowl, then pour the melted chocolate mixture over it and whisk to combine. Add half the flour mixture to the bowl and whisk gently; repeat with the remaining flour mixture. Add the egg mixture to the bowl and care-

fully fold all the ingredients together with a rubber spatula, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl, just until all the ingredients are fully combined. 

5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a small offset spatula or a rubber spatula. If there are streaks of egg visible on the top of the batter, use the spatula to smooth them into the batter in a circular motion. Bake the brownies for 40 minutes, until the batter has risen a bit, the brownies have an even, slightly bubbling crust, and the edges are starting to dry out and break a bit. Let the brownies cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack before slicing and serving. 

Make Ahead

The brownies will keep in the refrigerator, uncut and wrapped in two layers of plastic wrap, for ten days, or for up to six weeks in the freezer. The cut brownies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.