These Cocoa Brownies in One Cup Are Perfect for Bad Days.
Some relieve stress by baking sourdough bread or complex puff pastries; good for them. When I’m sad and stressed, I need a shortcut to as much chocolate as I can find. For me, this path always leads to chocolate brownies.
If you’ve never made one before, cocoa brownies probably sound like a big bowl of anything, but I bet the first batch will transform you. Like chocolate brownies, they come together in about five minutes using a single bowl and are baked thick and fluffy with a shiny, cracked crust. Unlike brownies in boxes, they use butter . I firmly believe that cocoa brownie is a True Brownie and that you deserve it right now. (Not you , however. Or you . Or any of y’all . And certainly not you .)
My recipe is a modified version of Deb Perelman’s finest cocoa brownies , itself adapted from Alisa Medrich’s finest cocoa brownies. I’ve tweaked it to my preference — salted butter instead of unsalted butter, double vanilla, a mixture of brown and white sugar — and I encourage you to do the same. Add some pecans, chopped chocolate, some bourbon, some cinnamon and cayenne pepper, whatever. Life is fleeting; rampage.
You will need an 8×8 ” pan (or whatever you usually use for brownies), parchment paper, and the following ingredients:
- 10 tablespoons (140 grams) salted butter
- ¾ cups plus 2 Tbsp (65 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (50 grams) light brown sugar, unpackaged
- A pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, cold
- ½ cup (65 g) all-purpose flour
Line a skillet with parchment paper and preheat oven to 325ºF. Using a scale or measuring cups, transfer the butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt to a quart-sized container that is suitable for the microwave. I use either a 4-cup pyrex measuring cup or a shocker plastic soup container to make pouring easier.
Cook in the microwave for 30 seconds to a minute, or until the butter is completely melted. (If you don’t have a microwave, an impromptu steamer is great.) Stir with literally any spoon-like object you have until it blends well. It will look a little rough at this point, but don’t worry because everything will be fine.
Add vanilla and stir to combine, then add eggs one at a time. You want them to mix well there, so stir vigorously between each egg. Now is a great time to focus on what has pissed you off lately.
Once the eggs are completely mixed, add the flour and stir gently until it is completely combined. Cause some more negative thoughts – anything you haven’t encountered while beating the eggs will do – and beat the dough vigorously 40 times with a spoon. Alice Medrich, the GOAT herself, makes you do it. Don’t disappoint her.
Pour the dough into the prepared skillet and spread out in an even layer. Bake at 325ºF for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean. (I use a 6×6-inch deep skillet, so mine always takes about 45 minutes.) Let cool at room temperature until you can safely handle the pan, then either place the brownies on a wire rack to finish chilling, or eat them right away.