Brownies are one of those controversial foods, where people get all opinionated and particular about how they like them. Some like brownies chewy and dense, while others prefer a cake-like confection.

Somehow this is the first brownie recipe on this blog, strange considering I have occupied several hours over the past few years in the act of baking brownies. It’s actually kind of disappointing. This brownie recipe, on the other hand, is not.

These are Nick Malgeri’s Supernatural brownies, famous for the use of bittersweet chocolate and Muscovado sugar. Muscovado sugar is a dark, sticky, brown sugar that is made directly from sugarcane juice, versus other brown sugars which are mainly white sugar with molasses added in.

These brownies are amazing from the fridge, the coldness makes them chewier, instead of room temperature where they are a little more cake like. It’s an appealing quality though, as they provide satisfaction to both brownie categories.

They are rich, dense, and captivating but to claim them The Ultimate Brownie would be foolish. There are a million brownie recipes out there, it is my life goal (and should probably be yours too) to try them all.

Supernatural Brownies
Recipe by Nick Malgeri

I added roasted walnuts and chopped chocolate though these extras are discretionary. For best flavor, bake 1 day before serving, let cool and store, tightly wrapped.

2 sticks (16 tablespoons) butter, more for pan and parchment paper
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
4 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup dark brown sugar, such as muscovado
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup flour
3/4 cup whole walnuts, optional
3/4 cup chopped semi-sweet chocolate, optional

1. Butter a 13-by-9-inch baking pan and line with buttered parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In top of a double boiler set over barely simmering water, or on low power in a microwave, melt butter and chocolate together. Cool slightly. In a large bowl or mixer, whisk eggs. Whisk in salt, sugars and vanilla.

2. Whisk in chocolate mixture. Fold in flour just until combined. If using chopped walnuts, stir them in. Pour batter into prepared pan. If using whole walnuts, arrange on top of batter. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until shiny and beginning to crack on top. Cool in pan on rack.