Brownie Pudding {with a hint of orange}

Now these are brownies at their best! This decadent Brownie Pudding falls somewhere between a rich cake-like brownie and a smooth chocolate pudding flavored with a hint of orange. Simply irresistible!

This chocolaty-orange goodness takes traditional brownies to a whole new level. Soft and gooey on the inside with a firm crust on the top. Just the way I like them!

And one thing is for certain, this Brownie Pudding is super simple to make and will immediately turn any ordinary day into a magnificent one. One bite of this warm (yes, it’s so good warm) delightful symphony of chocolate and orange will have you hooked!

So, if you love brownies like I do, then you have got to try this recipe. I stumbled across it when I was flipping through the pages of Ina Garten’s Back to Basics cookbook. I was instantly intrigued by simplicity and texture, and knew I had to give it a try.

The Barefoot Contessa is one of my all-time favorite chefs. Back in the day, I used to watch her on the Food Network. She makes things so effortlessly and elegant – her food always looks stunning. Ok, I know a lot of it is food styling, but I have four of her cookbooks, and every recipe I make (which over the years has been quite a few), always comes out perfectly.

Don’t know what it is about the Contessa…but I love how she combines flavors and plates up her deliciously appealing recipes. And for some reason, from the moment I scanned over the ingredients for this mouth-watering recipe, I knew I wanted to change it up a bit. To me, it was screaming “orange”. So that is exactly what I did. I added some orange extract to the batter. And let me tell you. It was divine. The orange really brings out the rich chocolate flavor.

Now my family is not big on mixing chocolate with any type of fruit flavoring. But me on the other hand, I love the combination of rich dark chocolate combined with the essence of citrusy orange. And even better, more for me if they don’t like it!

Brownie Pudding {with a hint of orange}

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
4 extra-large eggs, room temperature
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon orange extract

Heat your oven to 325 degrees. Lightly butter a 2-quart (9×12-inch) oval baking dish and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs and sugar on medium-high heat for 5-10 minutes, until the mixture is very thick and light yellow.

Then, in a medium bowl, sift the cocoa powder and flour together and set aside.

When the egg and sugar mixture is ready, turn your mixer to low and add the orange extract and the cocoa and flour mixture. Mix only until combined. Then slowly pour in your cooled butter and mix again just until combined.

Pour the mixture into the prepared dish. Then place it in a larger baking pan and add hot tap water to the pan (enough to come halfway up the side of the dish). Bake for exactly 1 hour. To test the brownie, insert a toothpick 2 inches from the side — this should come out about 3/4 clean. As a note, the center will appear very under-baked, and be cautious not to over bake to ensure the brownie pudding texture result.

Allow to cool and serve with ice cream, freshly whipped cream or sprinkle with confectioners sugar.