London Fog Brownies
These are made with white chocolate—an uncommon move in brownie recipes, and I’m not sure why, because, wow, are they delicious. This recipe yields a cake that bakes into a variety of textures in one pan: chewy edge, extremely chewy corner, and fudgelike center. The brownie is the only cake that’s allowed to have so much textural variety in one pan. This bar is flavored with Earl Grey tea—steeped in the melting butter—along with vanilla and the creamy dairy flavor of white chocolate in place of traditional dark chocolate. The result of these elements commingling is a “brownie” that’s aromatic and elegant, and very delicious. If your first question is “Can I use a different tea?” or “Can I leave the tea out?” Yes, of course.
Editor’s note: When I made these at home, I cut open two Earl Grey tea bags, which perfectly added up to 1 Tbsp. tea. —Nina Moskowitz, associate editor of cooking
Recipe information
Total Time
45 minutes
Yield
Makes one 13"x9" tray
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a 9"x13"x1" quarter sheet pan, and line the bottom and sides with parchment paper.
Step 2
Put 8 oz. (226 g) unsalted butter and 1 Tbsp. (6 g) Earl Grey tea, pulverized, into a small saucepan, and heat the mixture over medium heat. Stir every few minutes and watch it closely to prevent it from browning. While the butter is melting, put ¾ cup (127 g) roughly chopped white chocolate into a heatproof bowl. When the butter is melted, pour it over the chocolate, and stir gently until every piece of white chocolate has melted into the butter.
Step 3
In a large mixing bowl, combine ½ cup packed (106 g) light brown sugar, 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar, ¾ tsp. (2 g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt, 4 large eggs (200 g), and 2 tsp. (10 g) vanilla extract. Use a hand mixer to beat vigorously for 1 minute, until the mixture is pale in color and very creamy-looking. It is important to beat the eggs and sugar really well, because this is how you get a shiny, flaky top layer on your brownie. Add the melted chocolate and butter to the egg mixture, and whisk until everything is combined. Add 1⅔ cups (200 g) unbleached bread flour, and use a spatula to incorporate it, mixing just until no dry bits of flour remain.
Step 4
Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, and smooth the surface. Gently rap the pan on the counter to burst any air pockets in the batter. Scatter 1¼ cups (212 g) roughly chopped 72% chocolate over the top, and gently press it in a little (most will sink into the batter). Bake for 10 minutes on the center rack of your oven, rotate the pan, and continue baking until a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center comes out with very moist crumbs still clinging to it, about 15 minutes longer. The edges will show some browning and wrinkling, and the center will still appear a bit unset. If you have beaten the egg mixture enough, there will be a wonderful shiny surface to the brownies.
Step 5
Remove the brownies from the oven, and allow them to cool in the pan. Eat immediately, or, if you enjoy a chewier brownie, put the pan in the freezer for ½ hour. Cutting the brownies while they are very cold will produce a densely packed, chewy texture and clean cuts.
Do Ahead: Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 week or in the fridge for 2 weeks.
Recipe notes
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