Clara's Fudgy Double Dark Chocolate Brownies
Fudgy, rich, double dark chocolate brownies made with Dutch-processed cocoa and dark chocolate chips, a heritage recipe, tested and adapted from a grandmother's chocolate chip original.
Jennifer Ann Blair writes about food, wine, and the stories that live in recipe boxes.
In our family recipe box, among the well-worn cards and handwritten notes, I found a chocolate chip brownie recipe in my grandmother Clara Weidman Baker's handwriting. Even my mom, usually our family recipe detective, doesn’t remember it being made.
My first attempt followed the card exactly. I ended up with cookies. Delicious, but not brownies.
So I went back in. Brown sugar for density and chew. White sugar for the crackly top. Dutch-processed cocoa for depth. Dark chocolate chips folded in and scattered over the top. What came out the other side was rich, fudgy, and completely its own thing, still connected to the original card, just finally finished.
The card made cookies in her kitchen. It makes brownies in mine.
Notes
The crackly top is the sign they're done. Watch for it alongside the set edges. Don't pull them early. Dutch-processed cocoa is worth seeking out here. It delivers a deeper color and richer chocolate flavor than natural cocoa.
While You’re Here…
Jennifer Ann Blair writes about what’s worth remembering — a recipe, a person, a cookie that became a brownie.
I made these last night and they were delicious! Of course, they took twice as long to cook because I'm baking at 6400 feet above sea level. But they were great!