# Fannie Farmer's Fudgy Brownies

A faithful update of the 1896 original: dense, walnut-studded squares with a crackly top and a fudge-like crumb that holds up after 130 years.

_Dessert · American_

Prep: 15 min · Cook: 25 min · Total: 40 min · Yields: 9 servings

## Ingredients

- 2 oz unsalted butter (4 tbsp, cut into pieces)
- 2 oz dark chocolate (70% cacao, roughly chopped — about 2 oz)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (1 cup)
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp fine salt
- ½ cup all-purpose flour (½ cup, spooned and leveled)
- 2 oz walnut halves (roughly chopped, about ½ cup)

## Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 °F (165 °C). Grease an 8-inch square baking pan and line it with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides.
2. Melt the 2 oz unsalted butter and 2 oz dark chocolate together in a medium heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
3. Whisk the 1 cup granulated sugar into the chocolate mixture until fully combined.
4. Add the 1 large egg and 1 tsp vanilla extract and whisk vigorously for about 1 minute — the batter should look glossy and slightly thickened.
5. Add the 0.5 tsp fine salt and ½ cup all-purpose flour. Switch to a rubber spatula and fold until no dry streaks remain; do not overmix.
6. Fold in the 2 oz chopped walnut halves.
7. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread it into an even layer — it will be thin, roughly ½ inch deep.
8. Bake for 22–25 minutes, until the edges are set and the center no longer jiggles when the pan is nudged. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out with moist crumbs, not wet batter.
9. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes. Use the parchment overhang to lift the slab out onto the rack and cool for another 10 minutes before cutting.
10. Cut into 9 squares using a sharp knife, wiping the blade clean between cuts for neat edges.

## Tip

> The batter is intentionally thin — resist the urge to use a smaller pan. The wide, shallow layer is what gives these brownies their characteristic dense, fudge-like texture rather than a cakey one.

Tags: classic, one-bowl, comfort-food, vegetarian

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Canonical: https://just-recipes.io/recipes/fannie-farmer-s-fudgy-brownies
Source: https://archive.org/details/bostoncookingsch00farm