Big Fudge Brownies

This is the biggest pan of brownies you've ever seen.

At least, it was the biggest pan of brownies I've ever seen.

I took some to friends and froze the rest in nice little cellophane packages.

I need to warn you: these brownies have to be refrigerated before they're really good.  I'm the queen of hot, gooey brownies.  And these are not that.  But they are really delicious, and they keep well in the freezer.  You know, in case of brownie emergencies.

Am I the only one who suffers from that on occasion?

So here's what you want to do.  Melt the butter and 2 2/3 cups (which also happens to be one pound) of chocolate chips with the unsweetened chocolate in the microwave.

You want to do this slowly, because the butter will melt faster than the chocolate and then the chocolate will burn if you're not careful.  Microwave the mixture in 30-second intervals, stopping to stir well in between each interval.

Here we are, about a minute in:

Mine went for a total of 2 1/2 minutes.  Cool this to room temperature, and don't cheat because you don't want the hot chocolate to scramble the eggs we're fixin' to add.

Now whisk together the eggs, coffee granules (and don't even think about leaving this out), vanilla and sugar.

Okay, so basically we're going to whisk together the melted (and cooled!) chocolate mixture with the egg mixture.

Use your biggest mixing bowl for this.  Don't say I didn't warn you.

Okay, now dump in a cup of flour, baking powder and salt.  Fold everything together until just mixed.

Did you get that?  We just used four sticks of butter to one little skimpy cup of flour.  I likey this ratio.

Now mix the 1/4 cup flour with the milk chocolate chips, and dump those into the batter.  Fold it together and spread it in a greased and parchment-papered half-sheet pan.

Bake it for 28 minutes and when you take it out, whack the bottom of the pan on the counter.  The brownies will flatten a little, which is exactly what you want.

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Now comes the weird part.  Cool the brownies completely and then refrigerate them.  When they're cold, cut them into 24 squares.

If you want to be like me, give most of them to your friends and wrap the rest of them into individual brownies and put them in the freezer.

You just never know when you may have a brownie emergency.


Big Fudge Brownies
Heavily adapted from Barefoot Contessa


1 pound butter (I use salted, if you're curious)
2 2/3 cups (1 lb.) semisweet chocolate chips
6 oz. unsweetened chocolate
6 eggs
1 1/2 T instant coffee granules
2 T vanilla extract
3 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups flour, divided
1 T baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 cups (about 12 oz.) milk chocolate chips

Place the butter, one pound of semisweet chips and the unsweetened chocolate in a large bowl and microwave it in 30-second intervals, stirring well after each 30 seconds, until it is melted and smooth.  Cool completely to room temperature.

Whisk together the eggs, instant coffee granules, vanilla and sugar.

When the chocolate is cool, whisk it together with the egg mixture.  Add the flour, baking powder and salt and whisk until just incorporated.

Toss together the remaining 1/4 cup flour and the 2 cups milk chocolate chips.  Fold this into the batter.

Place a sheet of parchment paper in the bottom of a half sheet pan (12x18) and then spray the whole thing with nonstick cooking spray.  Spread the brownie batter in the pan and bake in a 350 degree oven for 28 minutes.  You want the brownies to be a little gooey when you take them out - DO NOT OVERBAKE!!!!

Drop the sheet pan on the counter to release the air between the brownie and the pan.  When you do this, the brownies will flatten a little bit - which is exactly what you want them to do.

Cool completely to room temperature before cutting into 24 squares.  Store in the refrigerator (or freezer!).