Letterbox Brownies
Make delicious letterbox brownies with chocolate chips. This easy 8x8 recipe creates fudgy, homemade brownies from scratch in under 2 hours.
Equipment
- oven
- 8x8-inch baking pan
- mixing bowl
- electric mixer
- whisk
- spatula
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
Dry Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Generously grease an 8x8-inch square baking pan with butter or non-stick cooking spray and set it aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer on medium speed to combine the granulated sugar, softened butter, and water until the mixture is smooth and creamy, which should take about 2 minutes. Beat in the pure vanilla extract and the eggs, one at a time, mixing until just combined after each addition.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking powder, and table salt until there are no clumps and the dry ingredients are fully integrated.
- Add the dry flour and cocoa mixture to the large bowl with the wet ingredients. Mix on low speed just until the batter comes together and no dry streaks remain; do not overmix. Gently fold in the semisweet chocolate chips with a spatula.
- Pour the thick brownie batter into the prepared baking pan and use the spatula to spread it into a smooth, even layer that reaches all corners.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. The brownies are done when the top is set and the edges begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. A toothpick inserted into the center will come out with a few moist crumbs, but not wet batter.
- Place the pan on a wire cooling rack and let the brownies cool completely in the pan for at least 1 hour. This allows them to set fully before slicing, making for clean, neat squares.
Notes
Do not overmix the batter after adding the dry ingredients for the best fudgy texture.