Recipe Swap: Easy Fudgey Brownies

I can't decide whether I like the themed recipe swaps or the Blogger's Choice swaps better. As nice as it is to pick whatever I feel like making from my assigned blog, the themed ones usually end up challenging me, which is a big part of the reason I enjoy the swaps.

Take this theme for instance - dessert. You all know I'm not a baker so this is usually a tough theme for me. I had a heck of a time finding something to submit but I was very excited to receive Dawn's recipe for Easy Fudgey Brownies. For some reason I've really been craving brownies lately so this was perfect.

I was excited to see how easy this recipe was to make. Mix ingredients, pour into baking dish, bake, serve. Easy peasy. And they were amazing, very fudgey and dense, with great chocolate flavor that made me wish I had some vanilla ice cream on hand.

My dad and stepmom were visiting when I made these so they both had a taste and my stepmom, a chocoholic, pronounced them perfect. She also gave me a tip about freezing the leftovers, which was great because now I have half the pan in my freezer in individual wrappers so I can take one out to enjoy whenever I want (which I already did...twice).

Easy Fudgey Brownies
As seen on Simple Gourmet Cooking

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for pan
1 1/3 cups bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (or semi sweet chocolate chips)
1 cup sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan or heatproof glass dish. Line pan with parchment paper, leaving a 1-inch overhang on 2 sides. Set aside.

Place butter and chocolate in a large heatproof bowl set over (but not touching) simmering water; stir frequently until chocolate and butter are melted, about 7 minutes. Alternatively, place butter and chocolate in a microwave safe bowl, and microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until chocolate and butter are melted.

Remove bowl from heat; let cool to room temperature, 10 to 15 minutes.

Stir sugar into cooled chocolate mixture until combined. Whisk in eggs one at a time, whisking until smooth after each addition. Whisk in vanilla. Gently fold in flour and salt.

Pour batter into prepared pan, and smooth top with an offset spatula. Bake until cake tester inserted in the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached, 40 to 45 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

Run a knife or offset spatula around the edges of the pan. Using parchment, lift brownies out of pan and onto the rack. Transfer to a cutting board; cut into 2-inch squares.