Ingredients
Method
- Prep time is 15 minutes, cook time is 14 minutes, chilling time is 45 minutes, and this recipe makes 12 brownie cups. Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease a standard 12-cup muffin pan well, or line it with paper liners if you want easy lifting.
- Melt the 1/2 cup butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Take it off the heat as soon as the last pieces melt. Whisk in the granulated sugar and brown sugar until the mixture looks shiny and slightly gritty.
- Let the butter mixture cool for 3 minutes. Whisk in the eggs one at a time, then whisk in the vanilla. Don't add the eggs while the butter is steaming hot, or you'll get little cooked egg bits. Nobody wants that.
- In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa powder, fine salt, and baking powder. For cocoa, either natural or Dutch-process will work here, though Dutch-process gives a deeper color. The King Arthur Baking cocoa guide explains the difference in plain baking terms.
- Add the dry ingredients to the saucepan and fold with a spatula until no dry streaks remain. Stir in the semi-sweet chocolate chips. The batter will be thick and glossy, almost like soft fudge.
- Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups, using about 2 tablespoons per cup. Smooth the tops lightly. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until the edges look set and the centers still look a little soft. Don't wait for them to look dry. That's the usual mistake, and it makes brownie cups crumbly.
- Set the muffin pan on a cooling rack. After 3 minutes, press the center of each brownie with the back of a rounded tablespoon or a small spice jar to make a shallow well. Go gently. If a cup cracks, just nudge the edges back while it's warm.
- Let the brownie cups cool in the pan for 10 more minutes. Run a thin knife around the edges if you didn't use liners, then lift them out and place them on a tray.
- Put the chopped dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until it steams and tiny bubbles show around the edge. Don't boil it. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let it sit for 2 minutes.
- Stir the chocolate and cream slowly from the center outward until smooth. Stir in 1 teaspoon butter for shine. If a few bits of chocolate won't melt, microwave the bowl for 10 seconds and stir again.
- Spoon the ganache into the brownie wells, about 1 tablespoon per cup. Sprinkle each one with a tiny pinch of flaky salt. Chill for 30 to 45 minutes, until the ganache is softly set but not rock hard.
- Let the cups sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving. The brownie softens, the ganache turns silky, and the chocolate tastes better when it isn't fridge-cold.
Notes
Grease the muffin pan well or use paper liners for easy serving. Chop the ganache chocolate small so it melts smoothly, use room-temperature eggs if possible, and do not overbake the cups. Press the wells while the brownies are warm, save the better chocolate for the ganache, and add a few flakes of salt on top. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; take out 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Unfilled brownie cups can be frozen for up to 2 months.