Super Fudgy, Chewy Cocoa Brownies

I will be the first to admit that I am a complete brownie snob. I believe a brownie should be extremely fudgy without being under baked. I believe a brownie should be chewy; not caramel chewy, but chewy enough that the outer crust of the glorious concoction sticks a bit to my teeth as I chew it. I believe a good brownie should have slightly tougher, more chewy edges. They should NOT, however, resemble hard, stale bread that crunch and crumble as I bit into them. I'm not sure what it is that I find distasteful about the melted chocolate method that is involved in most of the chewy, fudgy brownie recipes. It just somehow feels to me they are not completely made from scratch; like I am cheating somewhere along the line. Adding chocolate chips to create a chunky effect is completely different than using them as part of the base. If you happen to feel the same way as I do, you may want to try this recipe!

• Ready In: 10 mins
• Serves: 12

Ingredients

• 1⁄2 cup  cold salted butter
• 1 1⁄3 cups granulated sugar
• 1⁄4 cup  packed dark brown sugar
• 3  large eggs
• 1 1⁄4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1⁄2 cup  cocoa (I use Hershey's Special Dark. Other types of cocoa may be used, but may make the brownies very sweet)
• 2⁄3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon  espresso powder (optional, but does deepen the chocolate flavor)
• 1⁄2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease a 7"x11" pan and line with parchment paper. A 9" x 13" pan may also be used, but brownies will not be as thick and baking time may be reduced.
3. In a large bowl, cream together butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar.
4. Add eggs and vanilla.
5. Add cocoa, flour, salt, and espresso powder and mix until well blended.
6. Stir in chocolate chips (optional).
7. Place into preheated oven and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with only a few, moist crumbs. Appx. 30 minutes.