When chocolate cravings hit they feel like a monster that needs to be fed and wrestled under control as soon as possible. Enter these triple threat chocolate brownies. With a sweet and chewy chocolate center, little pockets of semisweet chocolate chips in every bite and a smooth and glossy ganache icing to finish off, this is a chocolate lover's dream dessert. Surprisingly simple to put together whenever you need a small, last minute dessert.
Ever tried those two bite brownie desserts? Give these homemade brownies a day to chewify™ and they taste exactly like them. Plus, you know this recipe is golden when it’s adapted from my Nanny’s recipe box. The creator of these family favourite Cinnamon Swirl Tea Biscuits.
Equipment and baking
To get started, mix up the batter in a bowl using a hand mixer. Unlike some recipes that use liquid fat like an oil or melted butter, this one requires you to cream the softened butter and sugar together. The same process as most cookie doughs. This will add air into the butter and sugar which will help the brownies rise and make for a light and airy texture. Once the dry ingredients and chocolate chips have been mixed in, spread the batter around in a greased pan.
Best baked in an 8 inch aluminum square baking pan; the perfect size for a small family-sized dessert! I highly recommend a metal baking dish for this recipe; it really helps to make nice browned and crunchy edges. These can take anywhere from 22-25 minutes to bake at 350F. The brownies are ready when the top develops a crinkled, shiny top crust that has lightened slightly in colour. The edges should also have darkened in colour.
The Ganache
The perfect icing to complement the sweet brownies is a thick chocolate ganache. Light on sweetness and heavy on the chocolate. By mixing melted semi-sweet chocolate chips and heated whipping cream with a spatula in a 2:1 ratio, the ganache takes on a thick and fudgy consistency. Perfect to use as icing instead of a sweeter chocolate buttercream! The consistency of the ganache is easy to mess with depending on the recipe. Just change the ratio of chocolate to whipping cream depending on if you want a thinner glaze, a thick truffle filling or even a whipped ganache like a mousse. For an even tastier ganache, try adding a small amount of vanilla extract!
There are two ways to make a chocolate ganache. The long way requires setting up a double broiler. To do this, heat up a pot of water and rest a glass bowl on top with the whipping cream in it. When the whipping cream is heated and steaming, add the chocolate. Slowly stir the chocolate and whipping cream together until the chocolate has completely melted and mixed in with the whipping cream.
Then there’s the easy way (AKA my preferred method for making a super quick ganache!). Take a medium-sized glass bowl or measuring cup. Add the chocolate chips and microwave on high heat for 30 seconds. Stir the chocolate chips, making sure to scrape along the sides of the bowl. Repeat until the chocolate is mostly melted. Scraping the sides in between each microwave burst is important to keep the chocolate from burning. Do not skip this crucial step! Next, add the whipping cream to the mostly melted chocolate and microwave for a final 30 seconds. Stir it all together until the ganache is smooth and glossy.
Make the ganache while the brownies are cooking in the oven and let it cool for 15-20 minutes. It will thicken as it cools. Pour the ganache over top the brownies once they’ve been removed from the oven and use a knife to spread it out in an even layer. Decorate to your heart's desire and leave the brownies to cool until the icing has hardened and set. It’s that easy to make the perfect silky-smooth chocolate icing accompaniment to any brownie or cake.
Sprinkles
Before the ganache icing has had a chance to set, liven up the brownies with some colourful pizzazz! Just add a pinch or two of sprinkles for a pop of bright colourful fun. Seriously, there’s always room for some sprinkles on baked goods! Change up the colour scheme depending on the season/holiday. The sprinkles are a completely optional choice so don’t sweat it if you don’t have any on hand!
Best the next day!
When the brownies have cooled to room temperature and the ganache has set, the brownies are ready to be eaten. Use a knife to cut the brownies into squares. This recipe makes anywhere from 12 to 16 squares depending on how big you cut them. Either use some cling wrap on top of the pan or transfer the brownies into an airtight container.
These brownies are rather sweet and airy the day they were made. However, if you can resist the temptation to eat them all on day one, they get even better the next day. They take on a more characteristic brownie chewiness. These brownies have some serious staying power. They can last for up to a week in an air-tight container. Seriously by day 5 they were almost fudge-like. That experiment took some serious self-control...
Classic Brownies with Ganache Icing
- Yield: 12-16 squares |
- Prep time: 10 min |
- Cook Time: 22-25 min |
Ingredients:
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Brownies:
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1/2 cup + 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened (150g)
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1 cup white granulated sugar
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1/2 tsp vanilla extract
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2 large eggs
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5 tbsp cocoa powder (30g)
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1/2 tsp sea salt
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1/2 cup all-purpose flour (68g)
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1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
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Chocolate Ganache:
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1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
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1/2 cup 35% whipping cream
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1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease an 8 x 8 inch aluminum pan.2. In a medium-sized bowl, cream the butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy.
3. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the cocoa powder.
4. Add the flour and salt to the bowl. Beat until the dry ingredients have been completely mixed in. Stir in 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips.
5. Spread the brownie batter in an even layer in the metal pan. Bake for 22-25 minutes, or until the top has started to crinkle and the edges have browned. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
6. To make the ganache, add the rest of the chocolate chips to a glass bowl. Microwave in 30 second increments stirring well after each until the chips have mostly melted. Add the whipping cream and microwave for a final 30 seconds. Add the vanilla extract and stir the ganache using a spatula until it’s smooth, glossy and lump free.
7. Let the ganache cool for 15 minutes before spreading it across the top of the brownies. Optional: Toss some sprinkles on top of the ganache for some fun colour. Cut the brownies into squares and serve. Best eaten the next day once the brownies have developed a chewier texture.