Black Pepper and Rye Brownies
just a very, very good brownie
One thing about me is that I’m never not in the mood for brownies. They’re one of my perfect comfort desserts (along with thick, warm chocolate chip cookies and boozy tiramisu) and I am forever looking for excuses to whip up a batch.
I first started baking in high school, puttering around the kitchen making treats for my friends’ birthdays or endlessly tweaking my aunt’s banana bread recipe until I got it just right. 16-year old Anna’s go-to was the Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Brownie mix box, baked in little aluminum pans that I would bring to school to celebrate anything and everything that called for celebration. In college, I discovered the Baked Bakery brownie recipe—ultra thick slabs of fudgy chocolate—and soon Ghirardelli was out and this recipe was in. I played with and riffed and tweaked that recipe for years until I created my perfect brownie and I’ve used that base many, many times in my recipe development life, incorporating fun flavors or lightly tweaking ratios. (See: these goat cheese swirl brownies, or these espresso tahini brownies, or these raspberry balsamic cheesecake brownies).
My brownie recipe has served me very well over the years, but I woke up one morning last week and decided that it was time to start puttering again. This brownie is different from my last in both ingredient ratios and technique. This is a decidedly chocolate brownie, with a gooey, fudge layer, that, while still dense, is a bit lighter than my original, and it’s topped with that very beloved, crackly brownie crust. Just a very, very good brownie.
about the recipe
In order to achieve a top layer that crackles and shatters when you take a bite, I switched up the technique a bit. You can create that layer in many recipes by whipping eggs into sugar (like in a flourless chocolate cake), so we are starting there. I also adjusted to use more granulated sugar over brown sugar for maximum crackli-ness.
Instead of melting the butter and chocolate together in a double boiler, we implemented a ganache technique in which the butter is melted and then poured over the chopped chocolate. After setting for a few minutes, the two are whisked vigorously until smooth and homogenized.
Lastly, we incorporated a bit of black pepper and rye flour. Similarly to how adding coffee to chocolate can increase the richness, black pepper brings out all of the best things about chocolate. The brownies aren’t peppery, but instead, the pepper gives the chocolate a little bit sweeter and more round flavor. I just love rye flour with chocolate for a slight nutty undertone, but if you don’t have it, you can easily substitute all purpose (or another fun flour like spelt!).
black pepper and rye brownies
makes 12-16 brownies
Ingredients:
226 g (1 cup) unsalted butter
11 oz (315 g) chopped dark chocolate
4 large eggs
300 g (1 ½ cup) granulated sugar
100 g (½ cup) brown sugar
2 tsp instant espresso, optional
1 tbsp vanilla extract
½ tsp coarsely ground black pepper
42 g (½ cup) cocoa powder, sifted
65 g (½ cup + 2 tbsp) rye flour*
1 tsp kosher salt
Flaky salt, for finishing
Procedure:
Preheat the oven to 350° F and line a 9x13” pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
Place the chopped chocolate in a medium, heat-proof bowl. Heat the butter in a saucepan over medium high heat until melted and sputtering. Pour the hot butter over the chopped chocolate and let rest for 3-4 minutes. Begin whisking the chocolate/butter mixture vigorously until all of the chocolate is melted and the mixture is thick, smooth, and homogenized. Set aside to cool slightly.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment*, begin whipping the eggs, sugar, and brown sugar. Increase speed to medium high and whip for 3-4 minutes, until the mixture has doubled in volume.
Add the instant espresso (if using), vanilla, and black pepper. Stream in the cooled, melted chocolate and continue mixing on medium low speed until just combined.
Add the cocoa powder, rye flour, and salt, and mix once more, until just barely combined–a few flour streaks are okay.
Gently fold once more with a rubber spatula and then pour the batter into the prepared pan. The batter will be quite thick. Spread it into an even layer and sprinkle the top with flaky salt. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the center is just set and the tops are dry.
Remove from the oven and let the brownies cool completely before slicing.
*notes:
*You can substitute all purpose flour for the rye flour if needed.