dark cocoa brownies with sea salt

From Sweetish.co

I made these brownies while I was still able to spend some time with family for my sister's wedding and everyone loved them. The addition of the coffee extract and the sea salt are my doing just because I love salted ery'thing, and didn't use the highest quality chocolate ever, so I wanted to counteract the lack of richness I got from cheaper chocolate with some coffee flavor. (Coffee adds a depth of richness and bitterness I adore.) You most certainly don't need expensive chocolate for these, or coffee, but I might go as far to say that the extra sprinkle of flaky salt does add a bit of magic - it brings out the chocolate in the best way and makes these wildly addictive. 

bakers notes: Don't skip the part where you the pan with butter and parchment paper. AND use a plastic knife to cut these beauts, They will cut clean - it's MAGIC. I promise. 

8 tablespoons / 1 stick / 113g unsalted butter, cold
8 ounces / 226g bittersweet chocolate, chopped (or bittersweet chocolate chips, 60% cacao content or higher)
¼ cup / 25g dutch processed cocoa powder, sifted slightly
1 cup + 2 tablespoons / 160g all purpose flour (I prefer organic, non bleached)
½ teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt
4 large eggs, preferably pasture raised
½ cup sunflower oil, or any other neutral oil, just not vegetable oil
1 ½ cups / 297g sugar
½ cup / 99g brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon coffee extract or 1 tablespoon strong coffee optional
flaky sea salt for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350° F / 180° C and make sure your oven wrack is in the middle of the oven. 

Butter a 9 x 13 inch baking pan and line it with parchment. You want to butter your pan first so the parchment sticks to the pan. This whole thing makes for a beautifully smooth process in removing the brownies out of the pan. 

In a medium size sauce pan over very low heat, melt your chocolate and butter together until just melted. tip! I've found that if you take the pan off the heat while there are still a few bits of chocolate that need to melt and continue stirring, you wont overheat or burn the chocolate. Set chocolate mixture aside to cool a little. 

In a small bowl whisk all of your dry ingredients together: flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder.

In a large bowl whisk together all of your wet ingredients: eggs, oil, sugars, vanilla and coffee extract (if using). Add the cooled, melted chocolate + butter mixture and whisk until combined. 

Slowly add your dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture and whisk gently until combined. Pour batter into prepared baking pan and bake for 22-27 minutes. (I baked mine for exactly 25 minutes, and my batter was completely room temperature)

If you stick a toothpick in, the toothpick will pull up some crumbs but not be wet. Sprinkle sea salt while brownie are still warm. 

Transfer pan to a wire rack and cool. Pull brownies out of the pan and use a plastic knife to cut them with ease.