Intensely Fudgy Chocolate Butterscotch Brownies

A brownie is basically a cross between a cake and a soft cookie, and the texture can be fudgy or cakey, depending on the ingredients and cooking time. In my house, we like ours fudgy, with a crackly top - and that's exactly what these deliver! I mean, there's just 1/4 cup of flour in the entire batch, so... these decadent squares are more like cake meets fudge...

Simple just got simpler: You need just 1 bowl, 1 whisk, 1 baking pan, and the oven - couldn't be easier (and easier to clean up). 

Want a different chip experience? Substitute peanut butter chips for the butterscotch. 

No bittersweet or unsweetened chocolate in the house? Substitute 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder. 

About slicing: I'm not joking - these brownies are VERY fudgy, so they don't easily slice into perfect squares. But I ask you this: Would you rather have a perfect square or a perfect brownie? I'll give you one tip: for an easier, cleaner cut, refrigerate the cooled brownies until firm. 

Have leftovers? As unlikely as that is, these brownies freeze very well. Wrap the brownies in plastic wrap or press-n-seal, and then in foil (or place in a freezer bag) and freeze for up to 3 months. 

Intensely Fudgy Chocolate Butterscotch Brownies

Cooking spray  1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces 2 ounces bittersweet or unsweetened chocolate (I used 99% cacao; anything 70% and above would be great), coarsely chopped (you may also sub 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa) 1 cup granulated sugar 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup butterscotch chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Coat an 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray and line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. 

Melt the butter and chocolate together in a large bowl (preferably stainless steel) set over a saucepan of simmering water. Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk in the sugar. 

Whisk in the vanilla. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time. Whisk in the flour and salt. Fold in the butterscotch chips. 

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake, on the center rack, for 30 minutes, until a wooden pick inserted near the center comes out with moist crumbs clinging to it. 

Cool on a wire rack before slicing. 

Makes 16-20 brownies