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Brownies My Way

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.

Brownie 2

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

  1. 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.
  2. Melt butter and bittersweet chocolate in a bowl over simmering water and let cool to room temperature. Add sugar and whisk until combined.
  3. Add the eggs, one at a time, and whisk until combined. Add the vanilla extract. Fold in flour and salt.
  4. Pour the mixture into the baking pan, smooth the top with a spatula and bake for 30 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.
  5. Melt the milk chocolate in a bowl over simmering water. Let cool for 5 minutes and pour over cooled brownie.
  6. Smooth the top with a spatula and sprinkle with pistachios.
  7. Place in the refrigerator and let the milk chocolate set. Serve it cold.

July 20, 2007 · 55 Comments Categories: Brownies, Chocolate Tags: brownie

« Bodrum & The White Mansion
Peach Tart with Almonds and Maple Syrup »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Zeynep Seda

    July 20, 2007 at 4:47 pm

    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 😉

    Reply
  2. Rosa

    July 20, 2007 at 11:13 pm

    Your brownies look really amazing! I love how the pistachios contrast with the chocolate glaze…

    Reply
  3. JEP

    July 21, 2007 at 12:50 am

    The recipe combination just sounds perfect for my tastes!

    Reply
  4. Rose

    July 21, 2007 at 3:05 am

    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.

    Reply
  5. Master of the Mansion

    July 21, 2007 at 4:17 pm

    it looks amazing. When do we get to try it?
    MOMansion…..

    Reply
  6. tijen

    July 21, 2007 at 7:07 pm

    Bodrum hikayene bayıldım. Ne komik, daha bu sabah birine kendi Bodrum hikayemi anlatıyordum. Hepimizin başka başka Bodrum hikayeleri var değil mi?

    Reply
  7. Cenk

    July 22, 2007 at 10:31 am

    Master of the Mansion – You don’t even like chocolate!

    Reply
  8. Maninas

    July 22, 2007 at 11:24 am

    the photos are – amazing! and yummy

    Reply
  9. Maninas

    July 22, 2007 at 11:26 am

    also, why don’t you submit this entry to browniebabe of the month event? 🙂

    Reply
  10. Cenk

    July 22, 2007 at 4:10 pm

    Maninas – Thanks for letting me know. I just sent an email to Myriam. I can not wait for the round-up.

    Reply
  11. Maninas

    July 23, 2007 at 2:02 pm

    Great! good to see you there! This will also be my first time to participate in the event.

    Reply
  12. Maninas

    July 23, 2007 at 2:03 pm

    btw, don’t know if i mentioned it before, but i love your header!

    Reply
  13. mj

    July 23, 2007 at 2:41 pm

    I think that is the most amount of chocolate and eggs I’ve seen in an 8″ pan of brownies! I like!

    Reply
  14. Patricia Scarpin

    July 23, 2007 at 6:19 pm

    Cenk, I love how you added the nuts on top instead of in the batter. Your brownie looks sinful!

    Reply
  15. almost vegetarian

    July 23, 2007 at 7:57 pm

    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!

    Reply
  16. Robin - The Clumsy Cook

    July 23, 2007 at 8:24 pm

    Wow, the pistachios look amazing!! At first glance I thought they were avocado slices–haha, that would make an interesting brownie!

    Reply
  17. andreea

    July 24, 2007 at 8:54 am

    wonderful to discover your website. will have to give these brownies a try soon 🙂

    Reply
  18. BOSSY

    July 24, 2007 at 11:07 am

    Nice-ass blog! Not to be confused with a nice Ass blog. Bossy will be back! Yum.

    Reply
  19. Jerry

    July 24, 2007 at 2:02 pm

    Drool! I made brownies this weekend, but yours look so much tastier.

    Reply
  20. nubia

    July 24, 2007 at 2:15 pm

    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!

    Reply
  21. Hillary

    July 24, 2007 at 3:52 pm

    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!

    Reply
  22. Cenk

    July 24, 2007 at 3:56 pm

    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.

    Reply
  23. Jean

    July 24, 2007 at 5:18 pm

    omg! ur brownies looks heavenly. i lovessss brownies. and love your food blog! :))

    Reply
  24. asya yusof

    July 24, 2007 at 5:23 pm

    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…

    Reply
  25. joey

    July 25, 2007 at 3:53 pm

    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 🙂

    Reply
  26. Caley

    July 25, 2007 at 5:04 pm

    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

    Reply
  27. Cenk

    July 25, 2007 at 5:46 pm

    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.

    Reply
  28. Barrett Laurie

    July 25, 2007 at 6:15 pm

    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!

    Reply
  29. Graeme

    July 29, 2007 at 7:36 pm

    I love that topping. You can almost feel the crack in that second picture.

    Reply
  30. Pat

    August 25, 2007 at 3:22 am

    Those pistachios are positively vibrant. Great pix. My sons don’t give me time to add icing!

    Reply
  31. valentina

    October 30, 2007 at 2:28 pm

    oh, my God,it looks DIVINE. You are always pushing the bar..way,way up there..

    Reply
  32. Mansi

    November 20, 2007 at 4:54 am

    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!

    Reply
  33. Luloah

    December 30, 2007 at 6:43 am

    Why didn’t I think of this?

    Reply
  34. Helen

    January 4, 2008 at 1:45 pm

    It’s easy to see how this was your most popular post of the year – they look fantastic! The colours!

    Reply
  35. sailaja

    April 23, 2008 at 9:57 am

    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.

    Reply
  36. Krithika

    April 28, 2008 at 1:33 am

    I tried this today and it was outstanding ! Thanks for this wonderful recipe

    Reply
  37. Margo Thomas

    June 11, 2008 at 6:51 pm

    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!!

    Reply
  38. Sarah J

    July 20, 2008 at 4:37 am

    I made these yesterday. They taste even better than they look. Thanks very much, SJ

    Reply
  39. Leesa

    September 23, 2008 at 12:21 pm

    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

    Reply
  40. Cenk

    September 23, 2008 at 2:00 pm

    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.

    Reply
  41. andy abraham

    October 15, 2008 at 5:02 pm

    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

    Reply
  42. Karin

    November 1, 2008 at 2:18 pm

    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

    Reply
  43. Cenk

    November 1, 2008 at 9:01 pm

    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.

    Reply
  44. magali

    March 31, 2009 at 11:09 pm

    wow!they look delicious!

    Reply
  45. sandrar

    September 10, 2009 at 8:26 pm

    Hi! I was surfing and found your blog post… nice! I love your blog. 🙂 Cheers! Sandra. R.

    Reply
  46. Figen

    December 26, 2009 at 12:46 am

    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.

    Reply
  47. saylamg

    September 19, 2010 at 1:30 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Cenk

      September 22, 2010 at 11:27 am

      saylamg – Thank you so much for taking the time to write the recipe. I’ll definitely try it.

      Reply
  48. irepkrep

    February 12, 2011 at 7:39 pm

    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!

    Reply
  49. Zuhal

    October 5, 2011 at 2:07 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Cenk

      October 5, 2011 at 7:38 pm

      Zuhal – Yes, I do buy the pistachios already slivered 🙂 Glad you liked the recipe.

      Reply
  50. Alice

    June 1, 2016 at 11:56 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • Cenk

      June 21, 2016 at 3:22 pm

      Alice – I am so glad to hear that you and your friends enjoyed it. Happy birthday! And thanks a lot for your kind words.

      Reply
  51. Jeff the Chef

    February 22, 2019 at 12:42 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Cenk

      March 21, 2019 at 12:48 pm

      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.

      Reply

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