Intensely chocolate, dense and delicious sheet pan brownie from the Barefoot Contessa. These Outrageous Brownies have stood the test of time with legendary reviews and a loyal following. Make these for the Super Bowl, your sweetheart, or just because it’s been a long winter and it’s only February 3rd! We all deserve a treat right now…
This is a recipe I have made countless times, and it’s one I always fall back on when needing to feed a crowd. The batter fills a 1/2 sheet pan, which yields 20 GOOD size brownies, and if you don’t have that many to feed, they freeze beautifully! Just make sure to underbake a bit…
The deep chocolate flavor is intensified by the addition of espresso or coffee granules. As someone who strongly dislikes the taste of coffee, I can attest that this only makes the chocolate taste better – there is no hint of coffee. It’s a trick you’ve seen in the Aunt Beatty’s chocolate cake & cupcakes, and it shows up for good reason. Much like salt, it simply amps up the flavor.
The hardest part in this simple recipe is waiting for the chocolate mixture to cool enough to add to the rest of the ingredients – otherwise these are simple and fast to make – all in, under an hour start to finish.
Ina's Outrageous Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 pound butter
- 28 ounces semisweet chocolate chips, divided
- 6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
- 6 extra-large eggs
- 2-3 Tbsp instant coffee granules
- 2 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups sugar
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line up a rack in the middle of the oven for the brownies.
- Butter and flour a 12 x 18 x 1-inch baking sheet, and line with parchment paper. This is also known as a 1/2 sheet pan.
- Melt together the butter, 1 pound of chocolate chips, and the unsweetened chocolate in a medium bowl over simmering water. Once melted, add the sugar, coffee (or espresso - see note below if using) granules, and vanilla, stirring until fully combined. Allow to cool slightly. In a large bowl, stir the eggs gently with a whisk. Add a small amount (1/2 -3/4 cup) of the warm chocolate into the eggs, tempering the mixture. Then slowly add the rest of the warm chocolate mixture, then allow to cool to room temp.
- In a medium bowl, sift together 1 cup of flour, the baking powder, and salt. Add to the cooled chocolate mixture. Toss the remaining 12 ounces of chocolate chips in a medium bowl with 1/4 cup of flour, then add them to the chocolate batter. Pour into the baking sheet.
- Bake for 15 minutes, then rap the baking sheet against the oven shelf to force the air to escape from between the pan and the brownie dough. Bake for about 10 -15 more minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Do not overbake! Allow to cool thoroughly, refrigerate, and cut into 20 large squares.
Notes
