Some like it fudgy, some like it cakey. Some add walnuts, some don’t. Some prefer thin slices, some like it thick. No matter which, I believe every baker has a favorite brownie recipe of his own.
For instance, according to Dorie, Julia Child prefers them dark, fudgy and soft, whereas Katharine Hepburn likes them thin and chocolaty, prepared without much flour.
I like mine somewhere in between. Moist but definitely not gooey. And of course, intensely chocolaty. As far as nuts go, I prefer my brownie batter without them.
I also like to add a generous amount of melted milk chocolate on top and sprinkle with pistachios.
So there you go, this is brownies my way. If you ever get bored of your classic brownie recipe, give this one a try and let me know how you like it.
Update (2008/04/01) – Recipe and photo also published in The Washington Post, “On These Blogs, Bakers Can Find Their Fix” by Nick Malgieri.
BROWNIES MY WAY
Ingredients
- 9 ounces (260 grams) bittersweet (%70 cacao) chocolate, chopped
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick/120 grams) butter
- 1 cup (200 grams) sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (130 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 6 ounces (170 grams) milk (%40 cacao) chocolate, chopped
- 1/4 cup pistachios, slivered
Method
- Center a rack in the oven and preheat your oven to 350F. Butter an 8 inch square pan, line bottom and sides with parchment paper and set aside.
- Melt butter and bittersweet chocolate in a bowl over simmering water and let cool to room temperature. Add sugar and whisk until combined.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, and whisk until combined. Add the vanilla extract. Fold in flour and salt.
- Pour the mixture into the baking pan, smooth the top with a spatula and bake for 30 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.
- Melt the milk chocolate in a bowl over simmering water. Let cool for 5 minutes and pour over cooled brownie.
- Smooth the top with a spatula and sprinkle with pistachios.
- Place in the refrigerator and let the milk chocolate set. Serve it cold.
Oh my world!! Your brownie looks amazing, I loved the idea of covering it with melted chocolate, have to try it with my favorite recipe 🙂
Photos are beautiful. And by the way, although it’s a beautiful city I don’t like Bodrum neither, it’s just way too crowded for me… May be I need a white mansion as well 😉
Your brownies look really amazing! I love how the pistachios contrast with the chocolate glaze…
The recipe combination just sounds perfect for my tastes!
I discovered your blog…well… 5 minutes ago and I am happy I did. Your photography is so clean, your website is gorgeous and I love your brownies. Three reasons for me to come back.
it looks amazing. When do we get to try it?
MOMansion…..
Bodrum hikayene bayıldım. Ne komik, daha bu sabah birine kendi Bodrum hikayemi anlatıyordum. Hepimizin başka başka Bodrum hikayeleri var değil mi?
Master of the Mansion – You don’t even like chocolate!
the photos are – amazing! and yummy
also, why don’t you submit this entry to browniebabe of the month event? 🙂
Maninas – Thanks for letting me know. I just sent an email to Myriam. I can not wait for the round-up.
Great! good to see you there! This will also be my first time to participate in the event.
btw, don’t know if i mentioned it before, but i love your header!
I think that is the most amount of chocolate and eggs I’ve seen in an 8″ pan of brownies! I like!
Cenk, I love how you added the nuts on top instead of in the batter. Your brownie looks sinful!
I have never put slivered pistachios on my brownies, being slave, of course, to the predictable walnuts. But it sounds like it would be wonderful. Heaven know, it looks wonderful. So worth a try.
Cheers!
Wow, the pistachios look amazing!! At first glance I thought they were avocado slices–haha, that would make an interesting brownie!
wonderful to discover your website. will have to give these brownies a try soon 🙂
Nice-ass blog! Not to be confused with a nice Ass blog. Bossy will be back! Yum.
Drool! I made brownies this weekend, but yours look so much tastier.
These brownies look amazing–I love to bake!
Also, thanks for stopping by Encounters with Strangers. I added you to my faves in technorati! Take care!
Mmmm, I’ve seen all kinds of brownie recipes but never any with pistachios! How original! Nice work. After it cools, is the milk chocolate gooey or hard? It looks hard which I don’t usually associate with brownies but could be good!
Thanks everyone for their nice comments. I am glad to see that you liked the brownie!
Hillary – After the chocolate sets, it becomes hard as I didn’t add anything to it. If you prefer gooey, you can spread a milk chocolate ganache (milk chocolate + heavy cream) instead.
omg! ur brownies looks heavenly. i lovessss brownies. and love your food blog! :))
ben bodrumu cok sevdim benim bir buyuk kardesim orada kendi meslegini yapiyor gecen yil turkiye ziyaretimizde bodruma gittigimzide onuda ziyaret etmistim gerci pek kendisini goremedim desem yeri var bodrumda geceleri daha fazla is oluyor hele hele tatoo cular genelde gece calisiyorlar
ama ben bodruma asik oldum cok guzeldi keske oyle biryede kucucuk bir evim olsa gerci tum ege ve akdenize asik oldum orasi baska mesele 🙂 🙂
bu arada browniniz super bende gecenlerde yapmistim mermer browni beyaz cikolata koymus ustuen ama sizinkisinin gorunusu super olmus bayildim…
I like mine dark and very very chocolate-y, moist and fudgy 🙂 Your’s look amazing with the melted milk chocolate and pistachios on top! What a fantastic way to have brownies…they look very elegent too all dressed up like that 🙂
The pistachios are a genius touch! I think I would love the contrast of the hardened chocolate top with the soft and gooey underbelly. Thank you tastespotting for bringing me to your blog. =D
Jean – Thank you!
asya yusof – yorumunuz icin cok tesekkurler.
joey – glad to see another brownie fan!
Caley – You’re welcome. Glad to see you liked it.
Yum! That looks great! I usually put walnuts in mine, I just like the consistency! Great blog! This is my first visit, but it is really fresh and different! I will be back soon to see what’s new!
I love that topping. You can almost feel the crack in that second picture.
Those pistachios are positively vibrant. Great pix. My sons don’t give me time to add icing!
oh, my God,it looks DIVINE. You are always pushing the bar..way,way up there..
wow, I’m growing into a fan with every delicious post of yours! I love brownies, fankly, anyway yu serve them:) but my secret recipe that I’ve blgged about is Sourcream Raspberry brownies, which has been my favorite since some while now!
Why didn’t I think of this?
It’s easy to see how this was your most popular post of the year – they look fantastic! The colours!
First time at your website and its simply gorgeous especially the photography. And this brownie with pistachios is out of the world and bookmarked to be tried.
I tried this today and it was outstanding ! Thanks for this wonderful recipe
Cenk: I just read the article about you and your website (in today’s San Francisco Chronicle). My taste buds can hardly wait to taste your delicious-looking Brownies and the Blueberry Granola Bars. I love reading the blogs and will add one myself, soon. Last year, my husband took me on my first visit to your beautiful Istanbul and I
am enjoy re-visiting it through your website!!
I made these yesterday. They taste even better than they look. Thanks very much, SJ
Hey there!
My friend Sibel just told me that these brownies are a “must!” Being the brownie nut that I am, I will try them out soon.. Just one quick question… Your recipe says, “chopped” for the pistachios– They look soo nicely sliced… Did you use a machine or do them by hand… I think chopped would be more in pieces/chunks than these nice looking slivers.. Please let me know when you have a quick moment!
Merci,
Leesa
Leesa – Thanks for pointing that out. You’re right! They should be slivered (mine are store-bought), not chopped. I’ll edit the recipe right away.
First I want to say …your pictures are wonderfull…. We recieved a post on recipebuddys.com on Brownies and wanted to hear you opinions of it …I stumpled upon your post…and thought you would be a good sounding board.. we have a bake sale coming up…and want it to turn out good for our daughter… please advise…thanks
you have to know that you have a fan club in Los Angeles… I made this brownies again , after last weeks request, with chocolate ganache ( my hubby made that), everyones is asking for the recipe, I keep giving your website … Everyone must try this recipe, cant wait to try the hazelnut.
Im thinking about making and giving as Christmas present for neighbors etc.
PS: i love your postings about carsi, pazar, bodrum, etc. and the pictures, please do one more, hasret gideriyoruz burda, ozellikle ekmek arasi kokorec resmi olursa cok iyi olur :))
Thanks for great recipes
Hi Andy – Just saw your comment, sorry for getting back to you so late. Are you talking about Good to the Last Bite brownies? I can’t see the recipe. Can you please provide a link so I can check it out?
Karin – I am so happy to hear that you and your friends enjoyed the brownies. Afiyet ?eker olsun! I understand your longing for carsi pazar posts and I’ll make sure to blog those types of posts more frequently. Thanks a lot for your comment.
wow!they look delicious!
Hi! I was surfing and found your blog post… nice! I love your blog. 🙂 Cheers! Sandra. R.
hey Cenk!
I missed Istanbul lot in Canada.Really liked your blog.Thank you for your passion and sharing it with us.
I baked the lemon poppyseed cake which I was looking for the recipe for it and the browni on Christmas day.
They’re both outstanding, can’t wait to try the other recipies.
F.
by far, this is the most gourmet thing that I have ever baked,so millions of thanks…kudos for you….have always been a milk chocolate addict, thus, the flavor of dark chocolate was too dense for me, next time, I ll do the vice versa, using milk chocolate as the main ingredient, and dark chocolate on top. oh last but not least, here is a great accompaniment to your whore’s breakfast, daaa mr. pimp 🙂 every whore has her pimp afterall aint’it?
from ‘the big book of breakfast’:Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 to 35 minutes for a 9-by-13-inch pan; 40 to 45 minutes for a Bundt pan
Yield: 8 to 12 servings
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
For the streusel: 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish or a nonstick Bundt cake pan (12-cup capacity) with nonstick cooking spray.
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together butter and sugar until fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl, then add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Add to butter-sugar mixture in 2 additions, alternating with sour cream. Beat well, and stir in vanilla.
Combine all the streusel ingredients in a small bowl.
Put half the batter into the pan (the batter is thick, so space even dollops into the pan and gently spread to even it out). Sprinkle half the streusel mixture over the batter, then dollop remaining batter over the filling and sprinkle with the remaining streusel. Using an offset spatula or your hands, gently press the streusel into the batter (only necessary if you’re using a Bundt pan). Alternatively, you can put all of the streusel mixture in the middle of the cake.
Bake until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the cake, about 30 to 35 minutes for a 9-by-13-inch pan, 40 to 45 minutes for a Bundt pan. Cool on a rack.
saylamg – Thank you so much for taking the time to write the recipe. I’ll definitely try it.
I have baked brownies before and I mean some really delicious brownies, but I have never baked and eaten such a delightful brownie before. It also has plus side for me, I do not enjoy nuts in my browine. I omitted the coating as I was baking for my kids and I wanted it to be fuss free. Next time I’ll make a grown up version with the coating and the pistachios. Kudos for you!
I made this the first time I saw it and it turned out brilliantly but I used gluten free flour and it turned out like a cake.
And Cenk, please tell me you buy the pistachio’s already slivered, I simply have to chop mine in half.
Zuhal – Yes, I do buy the pistachios already slivered 🙂 Glad you liked the recipe.
Cenk,
I want to tell you what a big hit the brownies were. I made them for my birthday to share with my friends and also with my students, and everyone just loved them. I had never made them before, so it was a risk, but boy am I glad I took it. I have been making the Baked brownie for a couple years, but wanted to try yours as you said they aren’t gooey, something which turned me off just a bit from the Baked one. Well, I am happy to say that I now have a perfect go-to brownie recipe 🙂 I have been following your site and your writing for some time now, and find it all so inspiring – the recipes, the city descriptions, the reviews, the writing style – everything. The way you describe San Francisco also reminds me of the way I used to feel about Europe. It was as if I belonged there, but as an American I just couldn’t live there darn it! Now I have made it work thankfully 🙂 but I am reminded of that inexplicable emotional pull that you feel towards certain places through your writing. I’ll continue to check your website for more ideas (I definitely know where to go next time I visit Paris) and recipes like this one. Fantastic.
Thank you again!
Alice – I am so glad to hear that you and your friends enjoyed it. Happy birthday! And thanks a lot for your kind words.
These brownies look exquisite. I’m going to make them this weekend! In the initial photo, how did you manage to get the pistachios so flush with the chocolate? I understand that they’re slivered. (I have no idea where I’ll find slivered pistachios.) But even still, they’re so perfect.
Jeff the Chef – They are not slivered; they’re sliced. When you sprinkle them before the chocolate layer sets, they’ll be flush once hardened.