Flourless Chocolate Brownies
These brownies are one of my go-to recipes. They check all the boxes:
Easy to put together;
Flourless but without the need for funky, hard to find ingredients;
Fudgy with a light cake like crumb;
And so rich, you will feel like you hit the brownie lottery.
Makes 12 - 24
Brownies:
Non-stick baking spray
1 cup (120 g) finely chopped semi-sweet chocolate (65%) cocoa content
12 Tablespoons (170 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
1 cup (185 g) sugar
4 large eggs (200 g), at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (75 g) good quality unsweetened cocoa powder
Frosting:
1/2 cup (63 g) finely chopped semi-sweet chocolate (65%) cocoa solids
1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder
10 Tablespoons (138 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
pinch of salt
1/2 cup (55 g) confectioner sugar
1/4 cup (26 g) good quality, unsweetened cocoa powder
2 Tablespoons (33 g) organic corn syrup, light agave or tapioca syrup
1 teaspoon(4.2 g) vanilla
Ingredients
For Brownies:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Line a 9 inch square baking pan with parchment paper. Spray with non-stick baking spray.
Place the chocolate, butter and espresso powder in a medium bowl. Slowly melt over a pot of simmering water, stirring occasionally; or microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring after each interval until melted, about 90 seconds.
Add sugar to the melted chocolate and stir until combined. Let cool slightly.
In a small bowl, whisk the eggs and salt with a fork until blended. Stir eggs into the chocolate mixture.
Sift cocoa powder over chocolate mixture and gently stir until combined. Place in prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the center will come out with a slightly wet but not gooey crumb. A thin crust will have formed on top of the brownies. Do not overbake. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.
Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to overnight.
For Frosting:
Place chocolate and espresso powder in a small bowl. Melt over simmering water or in the microwave. Set aside to cool slightly.
Place the butter, salt, confectioner sugar, cocoa, corn syrup and vanilla in a food processor. Pulse until smooth with no lumps.
Add cooled melted chocolate. Pulse until combined and creamy.
Spread frosting over chilled brownies. Refrigerate 20 minutes to set the frosting before slicing.
Directions
Use better quality cocoa and chocolate to avoid a chalky taste.
Natural cocoa and Dutch processed cocoa will both work in this recipe since there is no leavening besides the eggs. I used natural cocoa but Dutch cocoa will give you an even deeper flavor with a darker hue.
Espresso powder enhances the chocolate flavor without tasting like coffee in the final brownie.
Avoid using milk chocolate as the brownies will be too sweet.
Invert sugar (corn syrup, tapioca syrup, etc.) will add sheen and a nice spreadable consistency to the frosting.
These brownies are very rich which is why you can choose to cut them into 12 or 24 servings. I serve the brownies with seasonal berries, freshly whipped cream and a salty component, such as nuts to cut the richness.
A serrated knife is the best tool for chopping chocolate.
