Fudgy, delicious, with a very slight malty tang. We think you will like these…
You guessed it, the secret ingredient in our brownies is vinegar. We use our Porter Beer Malt Vinegar to give these brownies an (almost) adult sophistication. The malty flavors of the porter complement the deep chocolate while the slight tang provides balance to the sweetness.
These are rich and we suggest starting with this recipe and cutting smaller cubes or brownie bites to serve. But we won’t judge if you want to double or triple the recipe next time…
½ cup chocolate chips, plus another tablespoon or two for topping
Optional: nuts or other favorite add-ins
Directions
Preheat oven to 350.
Melt butter.
Add oil and sugars to the butter. Whisk aggressively.
Add Porter Beer Malt Vinegar. Continue to whisk—you will see the vinegar helps the mixture come together and begins to turn a lighter, creamier color.
Add vanilla and salt. Continue to whisk.
Add eggs and whisk aggressively.
Stop whisking. Add flour and fold in fully. Try not to overbeat, just fold in enough to be well mixed.
Add cocoa and fold until well mixed. Do not beat or whisk.
Mix in ½ cup of chocolate chunks or chips. Reserve the rest for topping. Optional: Mix in chopped nuts or any other add-ins if you prefer.
Generously butter an 8x8 baking dish. Place parchment paper at the bottom of the dish to make removal easier. Pour in mixture. This should produce brownies that are about one inch high.
Top the brownie batter with more chocolate chips and/or nuts.
Bake for about 25 minutes. We are going for fudgier brownies so try not to overbake. Remove from oven and let rest at least 20 minutes before serving. Smaller squares are best.
Feel free to make in advance—I think they taste better on day two.
Recipe Note
Chocolate: Get nice chocolate if you can but be mindful not to go too dark. I like dark chocolate but found that too dark made the brownies a bit bitter. For me, 74% dark was too dark. 63% seemed to strike the right balance and you could probably do a little less as well.
Cocoa: Sift the cocoa powder into the mixture. I didn’t in one of the batches and it felt like playing Whack A Mole trying to get all the cocoa lumps to fold into the mixture. Generally, I have not had that issue with the flour step.
Whisking: Do it aggressively in the beginning of the recipe but don’t do it at all when mixing in the cocoa and flour. This will help keep the fudgy consistency.
To nut or not to nut? We are a divided household here so I just put nuts on top of the batter for half of the pan and chocolate chips on top for the other half.
Bake time: Every oven is different and pans also play a role. If in doubt bake for less time, not more. Start checking at around 21 minutes and know that they will set as they cool as well.
Make in advance: I have a general sense that these improve on day two. But I don’t have enough data points to reach a firm conclusion.
