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Toaster-Oven Chewy Brownies

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on January 18, 2022

Time

1 hour, plus 2½ hours cooling time

Yield

Makes 16 brownies

Toaster-Oven Chewy Brownies

Ingredients

3 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder ¾ teaspoon espresso powder (optional)⅓ cup boiling water 1 ounce (28 grams) unsweetened chocolate, chopped fine5 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled1¼ cups (8¾ ounces/248 grams) sugar 1 large egg plus 1 large yolk1 teaspoon vanilla extract ¾ cup (3¾ ounces/106 grams) plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 3 ounces (85 grams) bittersweet chocolate, cut into ½-inch pieces½ teaspoon table salt

Before You Begin

For an accurate measurement of boiling water, bring a full kettle to a boil and then measure out the desired amount. If using a glass baking dish, reduce cooling time in step 3 to 10 minutes. This recipe can easily be doubled in a 13 by 9-inch baking pan; increase baking time to 30 to 35 minutes.

Instructions

  1.  Adjust toaster oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Make foil sling for 8-inch square baking pan by folding 2 long sheets of aluminum foil so each is 8 inches wide. Lay sheets of foil in pan perpendicular to each other, with extra foil hanging over edges of pan. Push foil into corners and up sides of pan, smoothing foil flush to pan. Spray foil with vegetable oil spray.
  2.  Whisk cocoa; espresso powder, if using; and boiling water together in large bowl until smooth. Add unsweetened chocolate and whisk until chocolate is melted. Whisk in oil and melted butter. (Mixture may look curdled.) Whisk in sugar, egg and yolk, and vanilla until smooth. Add flour, bittersweet chocolate, and salt and mix with rubber spatula until no dry flour remains.
  3.  Scrape batter into prepared pan, smooth top, and bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out with few moist crumbs attached, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating dish halfway through baking. Transfer pan to wire rack and cool for 1½ hours. 
  4.  Using foil overhang, lift brownies from pan. Return brownies to wire rack and let cool completely, about 1 hour. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve.
Toaster-Oven Chewy Brownies

Toaster-Oven Chewy Brownies

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Time

1 hour, plus 2½ hours cooling time

Yield

Makes 16 brownies

Ingredients

3 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder
¾ teaspoon espresso powder (optional)
⅓ cup boiling water
1 ounce (28 grams) unsweetened chocolate, chopped fine
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1¼ cups (8¾ ounces/248 grams) sugar
1 large egg plus 1 large yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup (3¾ ounces/106 grams) plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 ounces (85 grams) bittersweet chocolate, cut into ½-inch pieces
½ teaspoon table salt

Ingredients

3 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder
¾ teaspoon espresso powder (optional)
⅓ cup boiling water
1 ounce (28 grams) unsweetened chocolate, chopped fine
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1¼ cups (8¾ ounces/248 grams) sugar
1 large egg plus 1 large yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup (3¾ ounces/106 grams) plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 ounces (85 grams) bittersweet chocolate, cut into ½-inch pieces
½ teaspoon table salt

Ingredients

3 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder
¾ teaspoon espresso powder (optional)
⅓ cup boiling water
1 ounce (28 grams) unsweetened chocolate, chopped fine
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1¼ cups (8¾ ounces/248 grams) sugar
1 large egg plus 1 large yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup (3¾ ounces/106 grams) plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 ounces (85 grams) bittersweet chocolate, cut into ½-inch pieces
½ teaspoon table salt

Why This Recipe Works

To crack the code for perfectly chewy brownies, we discovered that the key was fat—the right proportions of saturated (butter) and unsaturated (vegetable oil) fats. We preserved this careful balance by replacing some oil with an extra egg yolk, whose emulsifiers keep fat from separating out while baking. Unsweetened chocolate and cocoa powder provided the strongest flavor without cloying sweetness, and folding in bittersweet chocolate just before baking gave our chewy brownies pockets of melted chocolate. For the best texture, let the brownies cool before cutting.

Before You Begin

For an accurate measurement of boiling water, bring a full kettle to a boil and then measure out the desired amount. If using a glass baking dish, reduce cooling time in step 3 to 10 minutes. This recipe can easily be doubled in a 13 by 9-inch baking pan; increase baking time to 30 to 35 minutes.

Instructions

  1.  Adjust toaster oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Make foil sling for 8-inch square baking pan by folding 2 long sheets of aluminum foil so each is 8 inches wide. Lay sheets of foil in pan perpendicular to each other, with extra foil hanging over edges of pan. Push foil into corners and up sides of pan, smoothing foil flush to pan. Spray foil with vegetable oil spray.
  2.  Whisk cocoa; espresso powder, if using; and boiling water together in large bowl until smooth. Add unsweetened chocolate and whisk until chocolate is melted. Whisk in oil and melted butter. (Mixture may look curdled.) Whisk in sugar, egg and yolk, and vanilla until smooth. Add flour, bittersweet chocolate, and salt and mix with rubber spatula until no dry flour remains.
  3.  Scrape batter into prepared pan, smooth top, and bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out with few moist crumbs attached, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating dish halfway through baking. Transfer pan to wire rack and cool for 1½ hours. 
  4.  Using foil overhang, lift brownies from pan. Return brownies to wire rack and let cool completely, about 1 hour. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve.

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