Disgustingly Rich Brownies

These disgustingly rich brownies earn the name with a full stick-and-a-half of butter and four whole eggs in a single 8-inch pan. The result is dense, fudgy, and so chocolate-forward that a small square is plenty, the kind of brownie you cut into 24 pieces and pretend you’re going to share.

This is a classic cocoa-powder brownie rather than a melted-chocolate one, which means the chocolate flavor is sharper and more concentrated, and the texture stays chewier for days. The four eggs are doing the heavy work for the structure, building enough lift to keep these from being straight-up fudge while still leaning fudgy rather than cakey.

The one-bowl, no-mixer method is the other appeal. Melt the butter, whisk in the cocoa and sugar, beat in the eggs and vanilla, then fold in the flour. Done. No creaming, no double boiler.

Pro Tips

• Use Dutch-process cocoa for a darker, smoother brownie. Natural cocoa works but tastes brighter and more acidic.
• Don’t overbake. Pull at 40 minutes if your oven runs hot. The toothpick should come out with a few moist crumbs, not totally clean. Clean toothpick equals dry brownies.
• Line the pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on the sides. You can lift the whole slab out for clean cutting.
• Cool completely before cutting. Hot brownies tear into ragged squares; room-temp brownies cut into clean-edged pieces.

Variations

• Stir a cup of chocolate chips or chopped walnuts into the batter before pouring into the pan.
• Swirl half a cup of warmed peanut butter or salted caramel across the top before baking.
• Sprinkle flaky sea salt on the surface as soon as the brownies come out of the oven for a salted-chocolate finish.