Brownies are sort of the casseroles of the dessert world (Why yes, I am midwestern, how did you know?). You can throw in a huge variety of chocolate sources, practically any nut, candy pieces, etc. and it will still taste good. Plus the preferred texture varies wildly. That means that it's hard to truly ruin brownies. That being said, these fudgy pecan brownies are moist, decadent, and have a little bit of crunch.
This recipe follows some of the same texture principles as I discussed in my recipe for Ambrosian Chocolate Chip and Pecan Cookies. I prefer a denser, moister brownie to a cakey one. In order to achieve that consistency, I added an extra egg yolk and a larger ratio of brown sugar. This provides extra moisture both directly and indirectly, through the addition of an ingredient that more efficiently absorbs moisture from the air.
Although I love a gooey center, it is still nice to have a bit more texture. That is where the pecans come in. I happen to really like pecans and I keep them on hand because my pecan pie is permanently on my family's bring to the party request list (what do people demand that you bring to parties?). If you don't like pecans or you can't consume nuts, you can replace them with something else with a bite to it, like toffee bits, crushed candy cane, your striking personality...anything goes when you're making a casserole.
I will warn you: put on something you don't like that much before eating these brownies. They are a dense, gooey, mess, in the best way possible. Which is kind of a metaphor for life...or at least as much as a brownie is a casserole. That's all for now, from your captain of analogies.
Keep your belly full, your mind engaged, and your heart open.
Lillian
Fudgy Crunch Pecan Brownies
Equipment
- 8 x 8 glass baking tray
Ingredients
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ⅔ cup cocoa powder
- 1¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs + 1 egg yolk
- 1 cup butter melted and slightly cooled
- 1 teaspoon vanilla measure with your heart
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Lightly spray or line an 8x8 glass baking dish with parchment paper
- In a medium bowl, whisk together sugars, cocoa powder, flour, and salt
- Mix in eggs and yolk
- Add butter and vanilla and stir briefly
- Fold in chocolate chips and pecans
- Pour batter into baking tray and smooth
- Cook for 45-50 min. or until the middle just barely doesn't jiggle.
[…] The fun thing about layer bars is that you can easily alter them to your taste. For our household, dark chocolate toffee bars are just right. You are an individual and your layer bars are your canvas. Express yourself with chocolate, caramel, toffee, nuts, coconut, butterscotch, pretzels, or anything else you love. Follow my recipe if it matches your dessert dreams, but if not, paint it with the colors of your heart – or stomach. If you find that you like tossing a bunch of ingredients into an easy dessert, you will also like my brownie recipe. […]