Chocolate Orange Brownies are ordinary brownies turned into something extraordinary. The brownies are speckled with orange zest and topped with a luscious chocolate ganache. Top each one with a candied orange slice and indulge in this delightful treat!
Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Line an 8x8-inch pan with parchment paper and spray lightly with nonstick spray.
Add the butter and chocolate to a medium heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Stir occasionally until fully melted and smooth. Set aside to cool slightly. (The temperature of the melted chocolate should be about 120°F before continuing with the recipe.)
In a separate medium bowl, beat the sugar and eggs together with an electric mixer at medium speed until light and aerated. Beat in the orange zest, vanilla, and salt until combined. Add the melted chocolate and mix until well combined. Fold in the flour with a rubber spatula just until combined.
Spread the batter evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the top of the brownies look dry and the edges begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. Cool the brownies in the pan on a wire rack.
Make the topping
Place the chocolate, cream, and corn syrup in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Stir occasionally until fully melted and smooth.
Pour the ganache over the brownies, use a silicone spatula to spread the ganache evenly over the top.
Refrigerate for 1 hour before slicing.
Notes
You can use bittersweet or semisweet chocolate instead of unsweetened chocolate. You can not use cocoa powder instead of baking chocolate in this recipe.
Make sure to whip a good amount of air into the eggs and sugar mixture. This is the only leavening used.
The high percentage of butter, chocolate, and eggs to flour is what produces a dense, fudgy brownie. The fat coats the flour which prevents the proteins from developing into gluten.
These brownies are rich and decadent, especially with the ganache on top. You may prefer them without the ganache or slightly less ganache.