Quick &Easy Chocolate Brownies

These one-pot brownies start on the stovetop: sugar, evaporated milk, and butter get heated until the mixture boils, then semi-sweet chocolate gets stirred in off heat until melted and glossy. Eggs, vanilla, flour, and baking soda go straight into the same pan. No melting chocolate separately, no creaming butter, no extra bowls.

The 8 ounces of real chocolate (not cocoa powder) is what makes these intensely fudgy rather than cakey. Combined with only ¾ cup of flour, the ratio leans hard toward chocolate, giving you dense, rich squares that crack slightly on top and stay gooey in the middle.

Chef Tips

• Remove the pan from heat before adding the chocolate. Residual heat from the boiled milk mixture will melt it smoothly without scorching.
• Beat in the eggs one at a time after the chocolate is fully melted and the mixture has cooled slightly. Adding eggs to a too-hot mixture will partially cook them.
• The brownies are done when they just begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. Overbaking turns fudgy brownies into dry, cakey ones.
• Cool completely before cutting. Warm brownies are too soft to slice cleanly and will crumble.

Variations

• Add ¾ cup chopped walnuts or pecans for crunch and nutty flavor.
• Swirl a few tablespoons of peanut butter into the batter before baking for a chocolate-peanut butter combination.
• Sprinkle flaky sea salt over the top right after baking for a sweet-salty finish.