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French Chocolate Brownies
4.5 from 57 votes

French Chocolate Brownies

French Chocolate Brownies offer a dense, rich chocolate experience made with bittersweet chocolate and butter. The batter develops by melting chocolate with butter, then folding it into airy, beaten eggs and sugar, resulting in a brownie with a tender crumb and deep chocolate flavor. The slow baking at a low temperature enhances the fudgy texture and ensures even cooking. These brownies suit dessert menus and are a satisfying treat for chocolate lovers looking for a classic yet refined version of this baked good.

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 30 mins
Servings: 16 brownies
Calories: 211 kcal
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: French, American

Ingredients

  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate finely chopped
  • 1 ½ ticks butter 12 tablespoons; 6 ounces, unsalted, at room temperature and cut into 12 pieces
  • 3 egg at room temperature, large
  • 1 cup sugar

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 300°F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with foil, butter the foil, place the pan on a baking sheet, and set aside.
  2. Whisk together the flour and salt.
  3. Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Slowly and gently melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally. Remove the bowl from the saucepan and add the butter, stirring so that it melts. It's important that the chocolate and butter not get very hot. However, if the butter is not melting, you can put the bowl back over the still-hot water for a minute. If you've got a couple of little bits of unmelted butter, leave them-it's better to have a few bits than to overheat the whole. Set the chocolate aside for the moment.
  4. Working with a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until they are thick and pale, about 2 minutes. Lower the mixer speed and pour in the chocolate-butter, mixing only until it is incorporated-you'll have a thick, creamy batter. Add the dry ingredients and mix at low speed for about 30 seconds-the dry ingredients won't be completely incorporated and that's fine. Finish folding in the dry ingredients by hand with a rubber spatula. (This batter was almost like a mousse when it was done being mixed, and very light in color)
  5. Scrape the batter into the pan and bake 50 to 60 minutes, or until the top is dry and crackled and a knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and allow the brownies to cool to warm or room temperature.
  6. (These brownies ended up with a thin crispy layer on top and rose significantly during baking and then subsequently caved in after cooling slightly!)
  7. Carefully lift the brownies out of the pan, using the foil edges as handles, and transfer to a cutting board. With a long-bladed knife, cut the brownies into 16 squares, each roughly 2 inches on a side, taking care not to cut through the foil.
  8. Serving: The brownies are good just warm or at room temperature; they're even fine cold. I like these with a little something on top or alongside-good go-alongs are whipped crème fraiche or whipped cream, ice cream or chocolate sauce or even all three!
  9. Storing: Wrapped well, these can be kept at room temperature for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months.

Nutrition Information

Calories 211kcal (11%) Carbohydrates 21g (7%) Protein 2g (4%) Fat 13g (20%) Saturated Fat 8g (40%) Cholesterol 54mg (18%) Sodium 32mg (1%) Potassium 78mg (2%) Sugar 16g (32%) Vitamin A 315IU (6%) Calcium 14mg (1%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 16 brownies

Amount Per Serving

Calories 211

% Daily Value*

Calories 211kcal 11%
Carbohydrates 21g 7%
Protein 2g 4%
Fat 13g 20%
Saturated Fat 8g 40%
Cholesterol 54mg 18%
Sodium 32mg 1%
Potassium 78mg 2%
Sugar 16g 32%
Vitamin A 315IU 6%
Calcium 14mg 1%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.