Glossy Valencia Brownies
Ingredients
- 5 Tbsp Butter (Cold)
- 2& ¼ C Powdered Sugar OR 1&¼ Granulated Sugar (249g of Powdered Sugar or Granulated Sugar)
- 2 Large Eggs (Cold)
- 1 Large Egg Yolk
- 1 Tsp Vanilla
- ⅓ Vegetable Oil
- ¾ C Cocoa Powder (75g)
- ¼ C Flour (63g)
- ⅛ Tsp Baking Soda
- 1 Tbsp Cornstarch
- ¼ Tsp Salt
- 1 Tsp Instant Coffee Granules
- ½ Orange Zest (the Zest of Half an orange)
- ¾ to 1 C Semisweet Chocolate Chips (use more chocolate chips if wanted)
Instructions
- Gently melt together Butter and Powdered Sugar over a double boiler (a bowl set on top of a boiling pot of water) or by microwaving everything together in 15 second intervals (be careful as the Butter might explode when being microwaved). The Butter and Sugar mixture may completely melt together or get clumpy. But as long as the Butter completely melts, proceed to the next step. Remove bowl from boiling pot.
- Whisk in Eggs, Egg Yolk, and Vanilla until there are no more lumps of sugar and butter left. You want to completely dissolve the Sugar into the Egg. Then mix in Instant Coffee Granules and Orange Zest. Afterwards mix in the Cocoa Powder, and Oil until the mixture is dark and silky, then fold in Baking Soda, Salt, Flour, and Chocolate Chips, until there is no dry flour left to be seen.
- Preheat the oven to 325 F. Pour the Brownie Batter in an oiled, parchment paper lined 8’’ x 8’’ tin and use a spatula to spread the brownie batter evenly across the pan. (Optional: refrigerate for 20-30 minutes or overnight, as it will help thicken the brownie and create a glossier brownie top). Bake for 30 minutes. Remove brownies from the oven after baking and cool to room temp and then slice into them.
Notes
Adapted from the Handle the Heat Chewy Brownie recipe
Adding in cold eggs and cold butter will help prevent the brownie from doming in the oven. I don’t know why it works, but trust me.
The initial Butter and Sugar mixture may become like melted candle wax or become lumpy and dry. This change in texture is due to heat, water content in butter, and also the natural cornstarch content in the powdered sugar, asides from the amount of sugar added. Both textures are fine as long as the sugar completely dissolves and becomes smooth when mixed with the eggs.
2 & ¼ C Powdered Sugar or 1 &¼ C Sugar ((249g of Powdered Sugar or Regular Sugar)) can be used, but Powdered Sugar creates a glossier brownie top.
Powdered sugar also has some cornstarch in it by nature which will make the brownie more cakey. Use regular granulated sugar to create a more fudge-like brownie if wanted. You want to dissolve the sugar with the egg completely as that will create a glossy top and will prevent the brownie from having a porous matte top. Dissolve the Instant Coffee Granules with the egg before adding the Oil, as the Oil will prevent the Coffee Granules from dissolving. If the Coffee Granules don’t completely dissolve or the step is missed, the Cocoa Powder will help dissolve the Coffee Granules. The heat of the oven will also help dissolve the Coffee Granules as well. By chilling the batter, it will help thicken the batter and ensure that the sugar completely dissolves. As a result, the brownie topping is usually glossier, and the brownie is more fudgy. Chilling will also meld all of the flavors together and make it more fudgier. This step is completely optional. After taking the brownie out of the oven, it may seem too moist, but the residual heat will continue to cook the brownie.
Powdered sugar also has some cornstarch in it by nature which will make the brownie more cakey. Use regular granulated sugar to create a more fudge-like brownie if wanted. You want to dissolve the sugar with the egg completely as that will create a glossy top and will prevent the brownie from having a porous matte top. Dissolve the Instant Coffee Granules with the egg before adding the Oil, as the Oil will prevent the Coffee Granules from dissolving. If the Coffee Granules don’t completely dissolve or the step is missed, the Cocoa Powder will help dissolve the Coffee Granules. The heat of the oven will also help dissolve the Coffee Granules as well. By chilling the batter, it will help thicken the batter and ensure that the sugar completely dissolves. As a result, the brownie topping is usually glossier, and the brownie is more fudgy. Chilling will also meld all of the flavors together and make it more fudgier. This step is completely optional. After taking the brownie out of the oven, it may seem too moist, but the residual heat will continue to cook the brownie.