- I made Ina Garten's outrageous brownies, the most popular dessert from her Barefoot Contessa store.
- Garten said the brownies were such a hit that she would sell "like a thousand" every week.
- The brownies were really easy to make, and they were deliciously rich and decadent.
As a longtime "Barefoot Contessa" fan, I've been making my way through Ina Garten's desserts to improve my baking skills.
Her mocha-chocolate icebox cake remains one of my favorite homemade desserts, and my family still talks about her iconic Beatty's Chocolate Cake.
So, naturally, next on the list had to be her outrageous brownies.
Garten's outrageous brownies feature an outrageously awesome amount of chocolate.
To make a serving of 20 (large) brownies, you'll need:
- 1 pound of unsalted butter
- 1 pound, plus 12 ounces, of semisweet chocolate chips
- 6 ounces of bitter chocolate
- 6 extra-large eggs
- 3 cups of chopped walnuts
- 2 ¼ cups of sugar
- 1 ¼ cups of all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons of instant coffee granules
- 2 tablespoons of pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon of baking powder
- 1 teaspoon of salt
I preheated the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, then buttered and floured my baking sheet.
Garten recommends using a 12-inch by 18-inch by 1-inch baking sheet for this recipe.
Next, I began melting my butter and chocolate.
I sliced my butter into knobs, melting them with the bitter chocolate and one pound of the chocolate chips in a saucepan over simmering water.
Once everything had melted, I allowed the mixture to slightly cool.
My kitchen already smelled delicious.
While I waited, I got the wet ingredients ready.
I added my eggs to a large bowl, along with the vanilla, instant coffee granules, and sugar. Garten loves using instant coffee in her desserts to enhance the chocolate flavor.
I then carefully stirred the ingredients together, making sure not to beat the eggs.
Then, I added the warm chocolate mixture.
I stirred the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and allowed it to cool to room temperature.
Garten said it's very important to allow the batter to cool before adding the chocolate chips because if the chips melt, they will ruin the brownies.
While my chocolate mixture cooled, I prepped the dry ingredients.
I sifted one cup of flour, as well as the baking powder and salt, in a separate bowl before adding them to the cooled chocolate mixture.
"This recipe doesn't have a lot of flour, which is why they're so fudgy," Garten explained while demonstrating the brownies on an episode of "Barefoot Contessa."
I tossed the walnuts and 12 ounces of chocolate chips with ¼ cup of flour.
Garten notes in her recipe that flouring the chocolate chips and walnuts keeps them from sinking to the bottom of the brownies while they're baking.
I added chocolate chips and walnuts to the mixture, then poured my batter onto the baking sheet.
It was time to bake!
After baking the brownies for 20 minutes, I hit the baking sheet against the oven rack.
Garten explained on "Barefoot Contessa" that this was a crucial step during baking because air builds up between the brownies and the pan.
"I just pick up the pan and rap it on the baking rack and it releases all that air," she said.
I baked my brownies for another 15 minutes, until a toothpick came out clean from the center.
Garten said it's important not to overbake the brownies.
As I cut my brownies into squares, I could see how fluffy and thick each one was.
My brownies looked super luscious and fudgy, each packed with chocolate chips and walnuts. I couldn't wait to dig in!
Garten's outrageous brownies were outrageously delicious — and lived up to the hype.
When I saw "outrageous" in the name, I should've known Garten's brownies would taste incredible. After all, I still rave about her outrageous garlic bread to this day, and I made it for the first time four years ago.
Garten's brownies are just so decadent and delicious. The chocolate is rich and satisfying, and the crunch of the chips and walnuts makes for a great texture contrast. And while they're super easy to make, Garten's outrageous brownies are packed with so much flavor that they still taste elevated.
In the introduction to the dessert section of her first cookbook, Garten writes that "a homemade dessert is a special reward." Well, her outrageous brownies might be one of the best rewards of all.
