# CLASSIC FUDGE BROWNIE FORMULA



## chefjoeyprats (Jul 18, 2011)

Hello everyone,

My name is Joey and I am a pastry chef based in Manila, Philippines. I just want to share with you a really good formula for Classic Fudge Brownies. For years, I have been developing a formula for a brownie that doesn't just taste good, but also possesses excellent texture (dense, no air cells, chewy) with a delicately crisp top crust that just melts in the mouth. I also want my brownies to be rich with an intense chocolate flavor. It should also keep for days at room temperature (and weeks refrigerated). My inspiration was a brownie I tasted a few months ago from a US company called Fairytale Brownies. Their brownies are almost perfect. My only comment is that their brownies lack the strong chocolate flavor reminiscent of old-world brownies. I am a stickler for perfection, so after 47 trials, it all boiled down to the simplest, most basic formula.

I would appreciate feedback from anyone who would try this formula. Just follow it to the letter and you are guaranteed success.

CLASSIC FUDGE BROWNIE FORMULA:

Yield: Twenty 7.5-cm x 7.5-cm (3-in x 3-in) brownies

Ingredients:

ALL INGREDIENTS AT ROOM TEMP - 20 DEGREES C (68 DEGREES F) UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED

300 (10.58 oz) grams unsweetened chocolate (this formula was tested with Valrhona 100% cacao mass)

450 (15.87 oz) grams unsalted butter

450 (15.87 oz) grams whole eggs

900 (31.74 oz) grams superfine (caster) sugar

  15 (00.53 oz) grams pure vanilla extract

300 (10.58 oz) grams all-purpose flour, sifted

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C (350 degrees F). Line one half-size sheet pan (46-cm x 33-cm x 2.5-cm / 18-in x 13-in x 1-in) with non-stick baking paper. Allow the paper to extend 2.5-cm (1-in) on each short side of the sheet pan. This will make removing the slab of brownies after cooling easier.

2. Melt together unsweetened chocolate and unsalted butter in a double boiler. Remove from heat and maintain temperature of chocolate / butter mixture at 30 degrees C (86 degrees F).

3. Meanwhile, combine whole eggs and superfine (caster) sugar in a 4.75-liter (5-quart) mixer bowl. Using the paddle attachment, beat on low speed (Speed 2 on a Kitchen Aid mixer / Speed 1 on a Hobart mixer) for 1 minute. Stop mixer and scrape down bowl.

4. Add chocolate / butter mixture. Beat on low speed for 1 minute. Stop mixer and scrape down bowl. Stir in pure vanilla extract.

5.  Add sifted flour. Beat on low speed 1 minute. Stop mixer and scrape down bowl.

6. Deposit the batter into prepared sheet pan. Bake in preheated oven 40 minutes. A wooden pick inserted in the center will come out with moist crumbs.

7. Cool to room temperature. Double-wrap slab of brownies in sheet pan with cling wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.

8. To unmold, loosen the slab of brownies from the sheet pan using a small sharp paring knife. Lift out the slab of brownies using the overhang of non-stick baking paper.

9. Using a long sharp chef's knife, trim off 1.25-cm (1/2-in) from each long side of the slab. Trim off 3.75-cm (1-1/2-in) from each short side of the slab. Cut the slab into twenty  7.5-cm x 7.5-cm (3-in x 3-in) brownies  .

END OF PROCEDURE

Enjoy your brownies!!!

NOTE: The formula was developed using the metric system. The US equivalents are included for the convenience of American users.

Chef J


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## gourmetm (Jun 27, 2011)

Thanks for the recipe, I'm a true blue brownie fanatic. I like mine with icing, though. Do you think that's sacrilege? If not, have you perfected an icing as well?


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## chefjoeyprats (Jul 18, 2011)

Hello,

I'm glad there are people out there who are like me....a die-hard brownie fan. I'll be posting formulas for brownie frostings and toppings soon, so stay tuned. If you decide to try the formula I posted, please let me know how it turns out so I can assist you in addressing problems you may encounter. After all, a formula, no matter how detailed, is still just a guideline to follow. Several factors affect the success or failure of any formula: types of equipment, brands and / or specification of ingredients, techniques, and so on.

Rest assured that the formula went through several tests in my kitchen as well as kitchens of homemakers and professionals alike. They all reported success stories. If and when I find the time, I'll be doing demos of the formulas I post on this forum on youtube.

Well, thank you for reading my post. My mission in life is to develop and share excellent formulas in baking and pastry.

Happy baking!!!

Chef J


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## siduri (Aug 13, 2006)

GourmetM said:


> Thanks for the recipe, I'm a true blue brownie fanatic. I like mine with icing, though. Do you think that's sacrilege? If not, have you perfected an icing as well?


GourmetM, I make special brownies for my christmas party, among a couple of dozen other sweets. I frost them with a butter/chocolate mixture. Melt sweetened cooking chocolate in a double boiler, off heat beat in butter (up to the proportion of 1:1 but you can put half the weight or volume of butter as the chocolate.) You add the cold butter in a piece at a time, till the whole is melted but thick as mayonnaise (this is actually julia child's recipe).

I spread this on them once cool, then cut them in small diamonds (they;re so rich, most people would never pick up a large one, but they'll happily eat ten of the small ones!!!)

For a "lighter" version, use a dark chocolate ganache (cream and cooking chocolate)


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## gourmetm (Jun 27, 2011)

Thank you so much for the added icing info!!


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## panini (Jul 28, 2001)

Hi Joey,

  With that percentage of liquid, these are more like fudge brownies, no?

How's your business over there? Are you able to use the Valrhona in your shop?

About a year ago I had an order for a german choco cake. As luck would have it

the order was cancelled. I had just finished bring up some german choco. icing.

The next day I put some of the GC icing in a pyramid shape on top of our fudge brownies.

Then dipped the top in ganache. can't keep them in stock.

  The only baked product I ever really liked was a great brownie like yourself. After the

GC icing I've never gone back.

panini


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## gourmet4u (Jul 20, 2011)

how about some incr-EDIBLE cheesecake recipes(in u.s.) thanks


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## chefjoeyprats (Jul 18, 2011)

Hi Panini,

Yes, the brownie formula I posted are incredibly fudgy and very dense. It took a while for me to perfect the formula and it went through several taste tests with different groups of people (housewives, children, professional chefs, bakeshop owners, local folks and foreigners). 90 % of the group claim these brownies are perfect. So, I am extremely happy to share the recipe with all brownie lovers across the planet.

Yes, I use Valrhona 100% pure cacao mass for the brownies. I switched from Callebaut because the Valrhona gave a more rounded and distinct chocolate flavor profile. I'll post photos of the brownies soon.

That's an interesting story about the German Chocolate Cake icing. I love German Chocolate Cake. Business is doing pretty well here in Manila. In addition to being the School Dean for a local culinary school called The Culinary Institute of Aristocrat, I was also recently appointed Philippine Chocolate Ambassador for a company called The Embassy of Chocolate which makes Belgian-style chocolates. It's a challenge to stay lean and trim with all the chocolates and pastries that surround me.

Do let me know if I can help you with anything, particularly recipes. I am currently writing my first cookbook. My objective is to share with the world recipes that are truly "to die for". I know what it feels like to search for the perfect recipe of your favorite product, going through cookbooks, the internet, personal recipes of friends and family, and only to be disappointed. So, I made it my life's mission to develop the formulas to a point where anyone who makes them (be they homemakers or professional chefs) would be assured of success.

It was nice communicating with you Panini.

Joey


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## chefjoeyprats (Jul 18, 2011)

Hello gourmet4u,

I love cheesecakes! And I have, as you said, incr-EDIBLE cheesecake formulas to share. I'll be posting my tried and tested "to die for" cheesecake formula within the week so stay tuned. When you said (in US) did you mean in pounds and ounces?

Joey


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## chefjoeyprats (Jul 18, 2011)

Here is a photo of my Classic Fudge Brownies using the recipe above.


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## mezzaluna (Aug 29, 2000)

I use the Culinary Institute Home Baking book. Their fudge brownie recipe has sugar, eggs, vanilla, some toasted walnuts and a tiny bit of cake flour. I cut them into small cubes (36 pieces from an 8"X8" pan) and put them in little papers, as I've found, like Siduri, that people will eat more than one small one, but not a large one! I call them "One Inch Brownies"- but give credit if anyone asks for the recipe. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/wink.gif They're so dense that they freeze- and re-freeze- beautifully. I have to cut them while still frozen, or they fall apart.


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## mcakes (May 1, 2013)

Hi Chef Joey!

You've done it again with your awesome recipes! So glad I came across this! I had a quick question in regards to your recipe. I currently have 60% Cacao Barry Chocolate and was hoping I could use this instead of heading to Surfas and purchasing unsweetened chocolate. Can I decrease the amount of sugar you recommended and by how much? Again, thanks so much!

Rita


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## chefjoeyprats (Jul 18, 2011)

Hi Rita,

The formula above will only work with 100% pure unsweetened chocolate. However, I have a fantastic formula for Fudge Brownies (as fantastic as the one on this post) that uses the kind of chocolate you currently have. What's your email address? I'll email it to you.  For measurements. do you prefer cups, grams, or ounces?

Warmest regards,

Joey


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## msleisurebake (Apr 6, 2015)

I absolutley love this recipe! Thank you so much for sharing. Finding this recipe has ended my search for the "perfect brownie." I must have tried over 50 recipes, but it is your recipe that does not leave me wishing it was more/less of one thing or another. Perfectly chewy, dense, and chocolatey.

Would you mind sharing your formula for the brownie that does not require 100% unsweetened cocoa, as it can be quite expensive. I love this recipe, but I would like to have a less intense version for my kids 

Again, I really appreciate your generosity in sharing you masterpieces. AMAZING!

Also, do you have a bake shop? I would love to try your creations the next time my family and I travel to the Philippines. Have a wonderful day and Aloha!


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