Make fudgy brownies from scratch with pantry ingredients like cocoa powder.
Brownies from a box?
No, thank you.
Elise Bauer
The almond extract gives these brownies a wonderful flavor, a perfect blend with the cocoa and pecans.
Not so with these brownies, because they’re dense and fudgy.
If the skewer or toothpick comes out clean, these brownies will be overbaked.
Elise Bauer
When you take the pan out of the oven, verify the brownies cool completely before slicing.
They need time to set up, or they’ll fall apart when you cut them.
The freezer “shocks” the brownies so they stop cooking and stay fudgy.
Elise Bauer
Remove them after about an hour.
Bonus: this makes them a lot easier to cut.
Brownies can be defrosted one at a time in the refrigerator or the countertop.
Elise Bauer
Place the butter, cocoa, sugar, and salt in a large metal bowl.
Fill a large skillet halfway with water and bring to a bare simmer.
Set the bowl of the butter cocoa mixture in skillet of simmering water.
Elise Bauer
The bottom of the bowl should be touching the bottom of the skillet.
Stir the butter cocoa mixture until the butter has melted and the mixture is smooth and hot to touch.
Remove the bowl from the skillet.
Elise Bauer
Stir in the almond extract.
Once the batter is well mixed, shiny, and thick, stir in the flour.
Simple Tip!
Elise Bauer
Don’t be afraid to overmix the batter.
It has plenty of fat and not enough flour to get tough from mixing.
Undermixing the batter will give you pock-marked, gritty brownies.
Elise Bauer
Mix in the pecans until distributed throughout the batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared lined pan and smooth the surface evenly.
Depending on your oven, baking time may take from 25 minutes to 40 minutes.
Elise Bauer
Cool completely on a rack.
Place the brownies on a cutting board and cut into squares or rectangles.
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
