The Best Fudge Brownies

Life’s been busy, and this was the longest break I’ve ever had from Obsessive Cooking Disorder in 10 years – wow, it’s been a few months. I’m excited to share The Best Fudge Brownies, where I partnered with the wonderful Taza Chocolate.

I’ve had a lot of inpatient months. December was inpatient covering both Hematology and Oncology consults at the public and trauma hospital Harborview. January was Hematology consults at University of Washington. February was Oncology for 2 weeks then Hematology consults for 2 weeks at the VA hospital. March is one the the “better months” since I’m on clinic block (although clinic is quite busy in a different way) and not on call constantly.

I actually baked and photographed these brownies months ago, but have been too busy to edit the photos and write the blog post. In fact, in the 4 months since baking these for the first time, I have baked them three more times since they are easy for potlucks or when you just want an easy dessert for the week.

I’ve always preferred fudgy brownies over cake-like brownies, and these are super fudgy and rich. You can’t eat too much since they’re so rich – a 1 inch square with a glass of milk is the perfect amount.

I bought an enormous bag of almond flour, and have been trying to use it up so this recipe includes almond flour in the ingredients. Personally I love adding almond flour as it gives a nice nutty flavor, although I don’t use only almond flour in this recipe to avoid altering the texture or density too much.

Adapted from Love and Lemons. You may notice I rare use “the best” in my recipes since I feel that’s such a bold claim…. but I truly feel this brownie recipe deserves the title “the best.” Enjoy!

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar (optional 2 1/4 cups if you want less sweet)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup almond flour (can replace with flour if you don’t have)
1 1/3 cup cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoons sea salt
4 large eggs
1 cup oil
4 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips (I use Taza’s baking 70% Couverture Chocolate)
3/4 cup pecans (optional)

Directions
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly spray an 8×8 baking dish with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, combine the sugar, both flours, cocoa powder, and salt. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, water, and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Mix in chocolate chips and pecans.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and use a spatula to smooth the top. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until a knife comes out clean. Serve warm or cooled. Enjoy!