Fonzies Brownies

The secret to these brownies is sour cream. A third of a cup goes into the batter alongside eight ounces of melted semi-sweet chocolate and butter, creating a fudgy density that’s richer and more moist than brownies made with oil or butter alone. The sour cream adds a barely noticeable tang that deepens the chocolate flavor without tasting sour.

Two sugars work together here. Brown sugar brings moisture and a caramel note, while white sugar adds sweetness and a slight crispness to the top crust. Whisking the eggs with both sugars and vanilla just until blended is critical. Overbeating whips in air, and air is the enemy of a dense, fudgy brownie.

The recipe says “blend slightly” at every stage, and that restraint is what keeps these from turning cakey. Each addition gets stirred just enough to incorporate. Chocolate chips folded in at the end create pockets of melted chocolate throughout.

Pull them from the oven when the center still looks slightly soft. They firm up as they cool, and if you wait until the center looks fully set in the oven, they’ll be dry and overdone by the time they reach room temperature.

Chef Tips

• Cool the melted chocolate and butter mixture before adding to the eggs. Hot chocolate will scramble the eggs.
• Don’t use a mixer. A whisk and a spoon are all you need, and the less you mix, the better the texture.
• Test at 25 minutes with a toothpick. It should come out with moist crumbs, not wet batter and not clean.
• Let the pan cool completely before cutting for the cleanest edges.

Variations

• Add a swirl of peanut butter on top before baking for a chocolate-peanut butter brownie.
• Use dark chocolate (70%) instead of semi-sweet for a more intense, less sweet brownie.
• Fold in a cup of chopped walnuts with the chocolate chips for a classic nutty brownie.