Best Chewy Brownies

I made these crackly-topped, perfectly textured (for me, that means damp and chewy, closer to fudgy than cakey… devastatingly handsome, ugh) beauties while the soundtrack to La La Land jumped and lilted around my kitchen.  I basically made these brownies for Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, is what I’m saying.  (Have you gotten a chance to see that movie yet?  It’s a delight.)

Anyway, back to our scene: the Seattle sun peeked through the raindrops and the pop-flecked jazz filled the air, which became increasingly thick with the scent of melted butter and dark chocolate and, despite the baffling circus that is the political news cycle (you guys, WHAT IS HAPPENING), in that moment, all felt right with the world.  And then we ate brownies.

As today is a holiday (albeit one of those weird ones that not everyone recognizes — sorry if you are, indeed, at the office), you might think about creating your own happy place, with music and brownies?  It’s a start, at least.

Happy Monday!

Best Chewy Brownies

Adapted from Martha Stewart

Ingredients:

• 7 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil (can substitute canola)
• 7 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped (or 1 1/3 cups chips)
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup (packed) light brown sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a 9-inch square baking pan with butter or cooking spray, line it with parchment (leaving some overhang on 2 sides) and grease the parchment, too.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and coconut oil over low heat.  Once melted, add the chocolate and stir occasionally until melted and smooth.  Remove the pan from the heat.

In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.

Add the sugars to the melted butter mixture and stir to combine (the mixture will be a bit grainy).  Add the eggs and vanilla, stirring vigorously to combine.  Fold in the dry ingredients until no streaks remain in the batter.

Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula.

Bake until the top looks crackly near the edges and a tester comes out with a few moist crumbs, about 30 minutes.  Let the brownies cool in the pan for about 20 minutes, then use the parchment overhang to pull the brownies out of the pan and cool completely on a rack.

Once cool, cut into squares and serve!

Brownies keep, well-wrapped, for about a week at room temperature.

Makes about 16 brownies (depending on how you cut them).