On mornings when I wake up early, I open the heavy linen curtains that cover the French doors in the bedroom. A soothing slate-gray, they black out almost all light, which is key for me at night (although I’m a relatively adaptable sleeper, I prefer a cool and dark and silent room when I have the choice). The curtains were put up by a previous tenant of the apartment, and while I’d never have opted for something so elegant, I’m awfully glad they did. Two heavy crystal knobs are attached to either side of the French doors, and I hook the curtains around them.
Before the sun rises, the sky outside is black or a charcoal gray, depending on how early it is. I like to prop myself up on my pillow slightly and watch the tips of the trees and the tops of the buildings one block over. It’s a quiet, gentle way to wake up—a luxury that not every day affords. I might read the news a bit (although, who needs it at that hour?) or I like to check the weather, just to consider what the day ahead might bring.
And lately if things align nicely, the morning progresses as such: I take a swim, hopefully in a quiet-ish pool. (I define “quiet” by not having the stress-inducing experience of sharing a lane with three burly triathlete-in-training men who race and dart around me, as if they’re fish and I’m a stationary buoy.)
I shower, luxuriating in the eucalyptus-scented steamy air of the locker room—a highly specific smell I’ve come to associate with the contented tiredness you have after a workout. And then, I go to the cafe around the corner from my apartment. Situated on the second floor, it overlooks the busy street. Again, if things align, there’s an empty table by the windows with just enough sunshine slanting in.
I order an omelette. Lately, I opt for the egg white with Gruyere, cheddar, and spinach. A side of well-toasted sourdough bread. A mug of hot water with a wedge of lemon.
I read my book, which is so exceptionally good that I slowly savor the sentences like a little kid with a few pieces of candy, nibbling on each one until it disappears. (It’s this novel, for the record, and everyone should race out to buy it immediately.)
That’s a rather pleasant way to start the day. Regardless of what comes next, it feels balanced and calming and sustaining.
The rest of the day could hold any number of things. Any number of surprise, of plot twists, of phone calls and news and work requests. It could be productive and pleasant or drag by in a fog of exhaustion.
But there are, of course, a few things you can plan on adding into any given day to up the “feel-good” factor of life.
Firstly, you could pick one tiny corner of your house to clean. Pick a single drawer! Pick half a single drawer! Relish the deep sense of accomplishment that comes from doing a task, no matter how small. (Myself, I’ve done the kitchen shelf by shelf and cabinet by cabinet, and now I’m into the bedroom closets. Yikes, may I just say. How exactly does one human being accumulate so many similar yet nondescript t-shirts? Asking for a friend.)
Secondly, you could listen to “Gypsy” by Fleetwood Mac while you make some brownies. But, since that isn’t just any old song, but rather a wildly good song, you’ll need to make some wildly good brownies.
I realize that “a wildly good brownie” is a subjective thing, and that brownies themselves are a topic of much heated debate amongst anyone who has ever eaten one, really. Cakey. Fudgy. Gooey. Soft. Chewy. Cocoa-based. Full of dark chocolate chunks. The list goes on.
No homemade brownie is going to be bad, let’s be honest. But there are recipes better suited for different occasions and tastes. Sometimes you want something intense, like Ina Garten’s aptly named outrageous brownies, which should come with some sort of warning about the impending sugar coma.
You might want something easy and quick (9 PM chocolate cravings are real, and there’s no reason why you shouldn’t whip up a pan of brownies to ease them). For that, you’ll want to opt for a simple one-bowl cocoa powder recipe. No melting of chocolate required.
All of those, and many others are good. Today’s recipe isn’t the ultimate brownie (because that doesn’t exist!), but it is…again…wildly good.
It’s based on the “better-than-supernatural brownie” recipe from Hummingbird High’s cookbook, which she in turn based on Nick Malgieri’s original supernatural brownie recipe.
I like that her updated version calls for both melted chocolate and cocoa powder. The cocoa addition helps prevent the texture from being too much like a solid block of fudge. I find that if you really whip some air into the egg/sugar mixture at the beginning, you’ll end up with a brownie that’s simultaneously chewy yet delicate. A crackly layer forms on the top, almost like the outer layer of a very good meringue, that shatters at the touch.
She adds chocolate chips to her batter. You could do this, sure, but I like them plain. If I were to add chocolate at the end, I’d chop some white chocolate and some bittersweet chocolate into shards and fold that into the batter. Uneven shards of chocolate melt nicely in baked goods—some will stay intact, some will create pools and puddles of chocolate, and some will create streaks and ribbons.
Here is my version of her recipe. Have at it! Make your day excellent!
A word on cocoa powder: This recipe works best with Dutch-process cocoa. I always like to keep this triple cocoa blend on hand, because it’s designed for recipes that call for Dutch-process and non-Dutch process, which is handy so you don’t have to double check which cocoa to use from your pantry. Highly recommend!
Crackly Fudge Brownies
Adapted from Hummingbird High’s Better-than-Supernatural Brownies
3/4 cups (42g) chopped dark chocolate
½ cup (56g) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons cocoa powder (ideally Dutch-process; I use this triple cocoa blend)
½ cup (60g) all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon espresso powder
2 eggs
½ cup (103g) dark brown sugar
½ cup (99g) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8” square baking pan with parchment and grease the parchment.
Melt the chocolate and butter together, stirring until smooth. You can do this on the stovetop or microwave but I usually use the microwave for such a small amount. Whisk in the cocoa powder and set aside to cool slightly.
Whisk together the flour, salt, and espresso powder and set aside.
In a stand mixer, beat the eggs with both sugars and the vanilla on medium-high speed until VERY light and frothy. This should take about 5 minutes. Don’t skimp on this step.
Reduce the speed to low and slowly pour in the chocolate mixture. Once incorporated, turn off the mixer and scrape down the sides.
Add the flour mixture and fold it in gently using a rubber spatula.
Scrape the batter into your prepared pan and bake for about 25 to 35 minutes. Start checking around 25 minutes and remove from the oven once a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, or with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Don’t overbake!
Let the brownies cool fully in the pan before slicing. I like to let them cool fully, then chill them in the refrigerator overnight before slicing for the best, and most firm, texture.