In general, I don’t love milk chocolate, it’s just too sweet and lacks a strong enough personality for my taste. I’m the kind of girl who likes my coffee black, my whiskey neat, and my chocolate dark. So when I find myself with an abundance of leftover milk chocolate after Easter, I like to get creative and transform it into something I love. These brownies are killer. The crunchy flakes of fleur de sel offset the sweetness of the milk chocolate, and a touch of cocoa powder adds richness and depth to this decadent treat. In fact, I fear I’ve done myself somewhat of a disservice: I’ve gone and turned the one type of chocolate I could resist into a dessert I can’t stop eating!
Milk Chocolate Brownies with Fleur de Sel
- 1/2 cup (115 g) butter
- 12 ounces (350 g) coarsely chopped milk chocolate
- 3 Tablespoons (15 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
- 1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons (80 g) all-purpose flour
- a pinch of fleur de sel
Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Line the bottom and sides of a 9×9 inch square baking pan with aluminum foil or parchment, leaving an overhang on all sides. Set aside.
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the butter on low heat. Add milk chocolate and cook over low heat for a few minutes, stirring constantly until mixture is smooth and shiny. Remove from heat, add cocoa powder and salt, stir, and set aside to cool.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat eggs and sugar at high speed until pale and fluffy, 8-10 minutes. Reduce speed to low, and add melted-chocolate mixture and the vanilla; beat until combined. Slowly add flour and beat just until incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the brownies begin to pull away from the edges of the pan. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out with only a few moist crumbs when the brownies are done. Sprinkle the surface of the brownies with a pinch of fleur de sel. Allow them to cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack. Once cooled, lift the foil out of the pan using the overhang on the sides and cut into squares.
