Marshmallow Pecan Brownies

from Ellen's kitchen, with thanks to Bake from Scratch

Makes one 9 x 13 pan of brownies

Ingredients:

• 8 oz unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups (226 grams) roughly chopped 72% chocolate
• 3 tbs (42 grams) chopped unsweetened chocolate
• 2/3 cup plus 1 tbs packed brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups (300 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 4 large eggs
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 2/3 cups all purpose flour (can substitute gluten free)
• 3/4 cup (63 grams) Dutch process cocoa powder
• 1 cup (114 grams) roughly chopped pecans, toasted
• 1 1/2 cups (65 grams) mini marshmallows
• 12 large marshmallows (84 grams) or more minis also work

Preheat:

• oven to 375 F.  Lightly grease 9 x 13 baking pan, and line bottom and sides with parchment.

Put:

• butter into small saucepan and heat over medium heat.  Stir every few minutes, and don't allow to brown.  While butter is melting, put both chocolates in heatproof bowl.  When butter is melted, pour over the chocolate, and stir gently until completely melted. (I found it necessary to put my heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water to get the chocolate completely melted.)

In:

• large mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt, eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla.  Beat vigorously for 1 minute, until very pale and creamy-looking.  Beating them well will give you the shiny, flaky top layer on your brownie.  Add the melted chocolate and butter to the egg mixture, and whisk until combined.

Whisk:

• flour and cocoa powder in small bowl, and add them to the melted chocolate mixture, along with the pecans and 1 1/2 cups of mini marshmallows.  Use a spatula to incorporate them, mixing just until no dry bits of flour remain.

Transfer:

• batter to the prepared pan and smooth the surface.  Gently rap pan on counter to burst air pockets in batter.  Place remaining marshmallows on surface, and lightly press them into the batter.

Bake:

• for 10 minutes on the center rack of the oven, rotate the pan, and continue to bake until toothpick comes out with very moist crumbs clinging to it, about 15 minutes longer.  The edges will set and wrinkle a little, the marshmallows on top will be browned and starting to lose their shape, and the center will still appear a bit unset.  If you have beaten the egg mixture enough, there will be a wonderful shiny surface to the brownies.

Remove:

• the brownies from the oven, and allow them to cool in the pan.  Eat immediately (!), or, if you enjoy a chewier brownie, put the pan in the freezer and chill for a 1/2 hour.  Cutting the brownies while they are very cold will produce a densely packed, chewy texture and clean cuts. 

Store:

• in airtight container at room temperature for 1 week or in the fridge for 2 weeks.