There are plenty of recipes out there claiming to be the "ultimate brownie", but like most things in life, the qualities that make for the ultimate brownie are a matter of personal preference. I like my brownies, dense, chewy, sweet (but not heartburn inducing), and with robust chocolate flavor that packs a sensory wallop. With that in mind, I'm happy to tell you that I've found my ultimate brownie, and it all came together quite serendipitously.
I recently moved from Sapporo to Tokyo, and as with any long-distance move, I had to get rid of most of the food in the fridge and pantry. This is no simple task for most households, but in a pantry with ten different kinds of wheat flour, dozens of salts, and 2 pound bags of chocolate in various intensities, it presents a daunting challenge.
By the day before the move, I'd boxed up or thrown out all the easy stuff, and I had some tough choices to make. Amongst them was what to do with the remains of an open bag of Valrhona Caraïbe, a ramekin of vanilla caramel sauce, a few eggs, and the dregs of a bag of imported French flour. As I was about to toss them into a giant garbage bag, it occurred to me, that under different circumstances, these could be used to make a chocolate cake. That's when I decided to throw them together and see what happens. I wasn't sure what I'd end up with, but whatever it was, it couldn't possibly taste bad.
Because the vanilla caramel sauce had been sitting in the fridge, it was rock solid, so I heated it up in the microwave, and then realized I could also melt down the chocolate in the molten caramel. The aroma the combination gave off was intoxicating and I was tempted to just consume the glistening chocolate with a spoon.
Curiosity piqued, I whisked in a few eggs and then folded in the flour. The resulting batter was thick like peanut butter and had a chewy consistency. After only a few minutes in the oven, the warm scent of vanilla, caramel and chocolate permeated every inch of the apartment, dripping with comfort. Despite the fact that my life was neatly packed and stacked into the boxes before me, I couldn't help but smile with contentment.
What came out of the oven was nothing short of extraordinary and I knew in that moment I wanted to share it with all of you. Unfortunately I hadn't measured anything at the time, which is why it's taken me so long to post this.
Using quality chocolate is obviously important since that's the main ingredient, but the real secret is the caramel sauce. The blend of caramelized sugar, butter, cream and vanilla beans in the sauce not only lends some incredible flavor to the brownie, it also changes the texture, giving the brownies a dense chewiness that is the stuff of dreams.
I know... using homemade caramel sauce and Valrhona chocolate for a brownie is ridiculous... but that's exactly what a good brownie should be. Fudgy, with over-the-top chocolate flavor, a crisp glistening shell of sugar, and a mild chew... at least for me.
You can control the texture of the finished brownie by the length of time you bake it. The less you bake it, the more fudgy the brownie is, and the longer it spends in the oven the more cakey it gets. In my convection oven, 12 minutes gave a crisp sugary crust, a crumbly border region, and a center like a chewy ganache. Keep in mind that the brownie will continue to cook after you pull it out of the oven, so if in doubt, pull it a bit earlier.
📖 Recipe
Units
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1 ½ tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¾ cup vanilla caramel sauce
- 240 grams dark chocolate
- 3 large eggs
- 115 grams all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Move the oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 350 degrees F (175 C).
- Prepare a pan by oiling and dusting with the sugar. I used a 10-inch x 7-inch pan, but an 8 x 8 would work as well.
- Heat the caramel sauce in the microwave until it's bubbling.
- Add the chocolate and stir until it's completely melted. The mixture may break (i.e. the oil and solids might separate). Don't worry if this happens, your brownies will turn out just fine.
- When the mixture has cooled enough to touch, add the eggs and beat together using a whisk.
- Fold in the flour with a spatula until just combined and then pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake the brownies until the outside is set and the middle is still a bit wet (but not runny). This took about 12 minutes in my convection oven.
- Let the brownies cool completely and then slice. To make the brownies firmer, try storing them in the refrigerator.
samnmini says
Marc, you had indicated that you baked the brownies in a convection oven for 12 mins. I will be using a conventional gas oven and am assuming that the bake time will increase to approximately 16-18 minutes to acquire the chewy, not cake-like, consistency. Toothpick through center will have crumbs adhering to it?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Jadegreen_eyz, there are so many variations in ovens (the stated temperatures are often inaccurate), it's hard to say for sure, but typically convections ovens cook faster than conventional ovens. A toothpick test isn't going to work on this because by the time the batter in the center doesn't stick it's already cakey. You want the center to not be wet to the touch (i.e. it shouldn't stick to your finger, but it's still going to be pretty soft.
mw205 says
Can't wait to try this recipe! Wondering if there is a simpler substitute for the vanilla caramel sauce...? Thx
Vi H. says
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I've started baking only within the past few years but I have never attempted to make the brownie... until now. I found the ultimate brownie recipe to do. Thank you Marc!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi mw205, the caramel sauce doesn't take long to make and if you do a double batch you'll have some to pour on ice cream, fruit, etc. That said, this should in theory work with any caramel sauce (though it won't taste the same), so you may be able to just buy something.
reba says
I hate to be the kind of person who asks this type of question, but I have a Jar of Dulce de Leche, can I use it instead of the caramel sauce? it seems to have the same consistency,
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Reba, since I haven't tried it myself, I can't say for sure, but I think it should work(and I think it would taste pretty great as well).
Mike. says
1st time baking. tried this recipe. but mine turned out really bitter. I used Lindt dark chocolate.. is it because of the brand or maybe i just ended up putting too much?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Mike, sorry to hear your brownies turned out bitter. There are a couple possibilities here. What % chocolate did you use? I used 66% Valrhona Caraibe, it's possible your chocolate had a higher percentage chocolate, which would mean it contained less sugar and milk making it more bitter. The second possibility is that something got burnt. Assuming the brownies themselves weren't burnt, is it possible you took the caramel sauce too far and the sugar burned? Did you try tasting the caramel sauce before adding it to the brownie? Hope that helps you narrow things down.
Mike. says
I used lindt dark idk really know the percentage but it says on the cover 85% cocoa. and yes I did taste the caramel and it was sweet. and the brownies turned out to look like the one in the photo. just the taste was the problem :/ Will try it some other time with a different chocolate. Thanks for the response.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Mike, 85% is pretty intense, I think this is where you're getting the bitterness. The usual range of "dark chocolate" is "70-75%", personally like chocolate a little sweeter which is why I use a 66%. Try using a chocolate with a lower % of cocoa next time.
Mike. says
I see. Will do on my next attempt. I'm making the peanut butter chocolate banana bread now. GL to me :p