A still-warm brownie — chewy on the inside with a shiny, crackly top — and a glass of milk is the kind of after-school snack fantasy that never fades away.
But how many times have I acted this out? Not nearly enough, despite my adult baking skills and the freedom to whip up a pan of the fudgy treats anytime the craving strikes.
And it is so easy. Mixed and baked in one skillet, you don’t have time for second thoughts. And leaving the brownie in that skillet for serving, instead of cooling and cutting it into neat bars, is an invitation to dig right in, preferably while its belly is warm, gooey and a little wobbly. And while you’re at it, adding a scoop of ice cream never hurts, especially since it melts into a custardy puddle, soaking into the fudgy confection.
The only potential sticking point in this recipe concerns exactly that — finding the right skillet to use so the batter doesn’t irretrievably glue itself to the pan after baking. I swear by my ceramic nonstick skillet, but other options will work, including a very well-seasoned cast-iron or carbon-steel pan, or a regular, oven-safe nonstick skillet. (Many nonstick skillets are oven-safe to 350 degrees, which is the temperature called for here.)
Word of warning: Don’t try this in your stainless-steel skillet. If you do, the underside of brownie will adhere to the pan until you chisel or soak it off. I can tell you this from sad past experience.
If you lack the right skillet for this, don’t fret. Just mix the batter in a saucepan, pour it into a greased 9-inch square pan and bake as directed.
But don’t overbake. For this recipe, err on the side of under rather than overdone. As soon as the top of the brownie looks dry, press your finger lightly in the center; it should feel like Jell-O under the surface. Skip inserting a toothpick, which would emerged covered in chocolate and won’t help you anyway.
Then, find a spoon and a glass of milk. Snack time has arrived.
