Less-Is-More Overnight Brownies

Summary
Prep time	15 min
Cook time	15-18 min @ 350°
Source	Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-in-your-mouth Cookies by Alice Medrich
Yield / serves	~16 servings
Rating	Very good Dense, very chocolatey

Ingredients

• 1 scant cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/4 t baking powder
• 1/4 t salt
• 4 1/2 T unsalted butter
• 1/2 c + 1 T unsweetened natural cocoa powder
• 1 1/4 c sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 large egg whites
• 2 t vanilla extract

Preparation

Line or grease an 8x8 pan.

If not resting the batter, preheat the oven to 350. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven.

Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl and mix together thoroughly with a whisk or fork.

In a medium saucepan, heat the butter until melted and sizzling hot. Remove from the heat and stir in the cocoa. Stir in the sugar. The mixture will look like a mass of very dark brown sugar. Add the egg, egg whites, and vanilla. Stir briskly, about 40 strokes, until smooth. Add the flour mixture. Stir until just incorporated. Then stir briskly for 40-50 strokes. Scrape the batter into the pan and spread it evenly. The batter will be very shallow in the pan.

If you have time to rest the batter, cover and refrigerate the pan for a few hours or overnight. Remove the pan from the fridge about 30 minutes before baking. Preheat the oven now.

Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a little batter--thickened and gooey, not thin and liquid--still clinging to it. Do not overbake. Cool on a rack. Lift the ends of the foil and transfer the brownies to a cutting board. Cut into 16 squares or 20 rectangles. If you have not overbaked the brownies, they will remain moist and delicious for at least 2 days in an airtight container.

Variations

For a different kind of flavor, you can decrease the sugar to 3/4 cup and add 1/3 cup packed brown sugar and/or add 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder dissolved in 1 teaspoon water to the batter with the vanilla.