Triple Chocolate Brownies

What’s the point in doing something halfway? These brownies are so dense and fudgy, you need to cool them in the pan for at least an hour before slicing.

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

16 tablespoons (2 sticks) cool unsalted butter, cut into small chunks, plus additional for greasing the pan

3⁄4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (14 tablespoons) all-purpose fl our, plus additional for dusting the pan

1⁄4 cup sifted unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1⁄2 teaspoon salt

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 cups semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

• Set the chocolate in the top half of a double boiler placed over 1 inch of simmering water in the bottom half over high heat, or set it in a medium bowl that fi ts snugly over a medium saucepan with about the same amount of simmering water. Lower the heat to medium-low so the water simmers slowly, and stir until half the chocolate has melted. Remove the top half of the double boiler or the bowl from the heat and continue stirring until the chocolate has fully melted. Set aside to cool at room temperature for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter a 13x9-inch baking pan; dust it lightly with fl our. Whisk the fl our, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl until uniform; set aside.
• Beat the butter and both sugars in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until light, fl uffy, and creamy, about 4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally to make sure all the sugar is being beaten into the mixture.
• Beat in the eggs one at a time, making sure each is thoroughly incorporated before adding the next. Beat in the melted chocolate and vanilla until smooth.
• Turn off the beaters, add the prepared fl our mixture, and beat at a very low speed until all the fl our has all dissolved but not until the batter is smooth, about 1 minute. Scrape down and remove the beaters; stir in the chocolate chips with a rubber spatula.
• Pour and scrape the batter into the prepared pan, getting it evenly into the corners and throughout. Bake until softly set, until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 55 minutes.
• To cool: Place the pan on a wire rack and cool completely, at least 1 hour.
• To store: Cut the brownies into squares in the pan and wrap each individually in wax paper; store at room temperature in a sealed container for up to 3 days

Makes 16 large brownies