My favorite brownie recipe

Growing up, I had an intense love for the Ghirardelli boxed brownies. When I went to a bakery I would almost always choose to buy a cookie (probably no surprise there) but making brownies from the box at home - there was nothing better. I've made lots of brownie recipes over the years, but I felt like nothing really came close to the taste and texture of that brownie mix. Until now!

After a failed attempt at making a flourless brownie, which I will return to another day, I felt inspired to try once again to perfect the boxed brownie flavor and here we are. This brownie has a deep chocolate flavor, the classic shiny crust, and is perfectly moist. It has a mixture of fats (butter and oil) and both cocoa powder and melted chocolate. I used a mixture of semisweet and milk chocolate, but you can certainly get creative here if you're craving more of a dark chocolate flavor, or go all in on the milk or semisweet.

I love chocolate chips and chunks in a brownie, but I wanted to start with a brownie that was delicious all on its own. This is certainly going to be my go to base recipe so I am so excited to be sharing it - and it will absolutely be my own go to when a brownie craving strikes.

I used a stand mixer for this recipe, and do recommend you do the same. If you don't have one, a whisk could be swapped in to beat the egg and sugar together but the best result will come from using the stand mixer if you have it. One last tip before we get to the recipe is to move extremely slowly when adding in your dry ingredients. I promise your brownies will taste incredible either way, but to achieve the best shiny crust you'll want to fold in your sifted, dry ingredients with slow and sweeping motions. Patience will be the key here, and the end result is so worth it!

Ingredients:

• 1 stick unsalted butter (8 tablespoons, 1/2 cup)

• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

• 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips (or semisweet)

• 1/3 cup light brown sugar

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar

• 2 eggs

• 1 egg yolk

• 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

• 1/2 cup all purpose flour

• 1/3 cup cocoa powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Total time: About two hours

Prep time: About 20 minutes

Bake time: 24-26 minutes

Cooking instructions: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, melt your butter in the microwave. Add in all of your chocolate, stir to coat your chocolate with the melted butter, and then place back into the microwave for another 15-30 seconds. Leave your mixture be for about a minute, and then stir to combine your chocolate and butter fully. It may seem like it won't combine at first, but keep going until your mixture is smooth. Set your bowl aside to cool slightly. In your stand mixer, with the paddle attachment, add in your eggs and extra yolk and both sugars. Starting at the lowest speed and increasing to the highest, leave your eggs and sugars to combine for 2-3 minutes. You'll see it lighten in color and increase in volume.

To your stand mixer, add in your vanilla and vegetable oil and combine at a low speed for another 30 seconds. Then, pour in your fully combined chocolate and butter mixture (it should be warm, not hot, to the touch). Move from the lowest speed to a medium to high speed, and combine your chocolate into your mixture for 30 seconds to a minute. Remove your bowl from the stand mixer and use a spatula or large spoon to ensure the chocolate is incorporated, folding carefully.

At this point, you'll incorporate your dry ingredients. In a small or medium sized bowl, combine your flour, salt, and cocoa powder. Then, I recommend sifting your dry ingredients in two batches. I used a mesh strainer rested on top of my large bowl and added in my dry ingredients. Then you can lightly tap the sides of the strainer with one hand while holding the handle in the other to sift your dry ingredients clump free into your wet ingredients. Using the same spatula or large spoon, fold your dry ingredients in. Move VERY slowly and intentionally here, and be sure to only mix as much as necessary. Your brownies will taste incredible regardless, but moving slowly to incorporate will lead to a better texture and shinier crust in the end. Line a 9x9in square pan (or you can use an 8x8 pan and increase the cook time a bit) with parchment paper and then dollop in your mixture. You can use any flat tool, or even a spoon, to lightly spread your mixture so that it is evenly poured across your pan. Place your batter into the oven and bake for 24-26 minutes. You'll know it's done when you see a shiny top form and if you wiggle the pan the center doesn't move showing you that your brownies have set. Remove your pan and allow your brownies to cool fully (this will take at least an hour) and then slice into 16 squares, or 9 if you'd like larger pieces! You can store your brownies in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge, and of course they freeze great. Brownies are one of those desserts that do truly freeze well once baked so don't be afraid to pop some into the freezer if you don't think you'll finish the batch within a few days.

Carb and serving info: Carbs per serving (1 of 16): 24.4 Carbs per serving (1 of 9) : 43.4

Carbs for full recipe: 390.4

Carbs from chocolate: 110

Note: Carb information is calculated based on the specific ingredients I used to cook with to help guide my own insulin to carb ratio when dosing before I eat my home cooked recipes.