​
Friends, where to begin? I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited to send out a newsletter.

If you are new here, here’s a brief recap of this shiny-topped brownie mission:

Three weeks ago, one of you left a comment asking how to get a shiny crust on these rich, fudgy brownies. I had some thoughts but posed the question here knowing you would have some ideas.

Two weeks ago, I shared those ideas with you, and last week I shared the progress I had made thanks to your suggestions.

Today, I am sharing that my most recent batch of brownies (pictured above) emerged with a shiny, papery crust extending from edge to edge, and I couldn’t be more thrilled.

Let's get straight to it: what worked?

• Melting the butter and sugar sufficiently and beating the two together with my flat-bottomed whisk until they were nearly emulsified — it looked like wet sand.
• Beating the eggs for about a minute (also with my flat-bottomed whisk) until they got foamy and slightly thick, about a minute.
• Whisking the butter-sugar mixture really well into the eggs before adding the dry ingredients.

And one more thing: using a new pan.

I hate to suggest buying a new pan, but encouraged by my mother who, along with many of you, sent me the Stella Parks article about glossy brownies, I bought the aluminum pan Stella recommends. And, like Stella, I lined the pan with foil.

It’s hard to know which variable made the biggest difference in the end, but I will note I basically followed the same method last week as this week (with perhaps a bit more vigorous whisking this week), the one difference being the pan.

Friends, these brownies are heaven. I hope you'll give the recipe a go soon. I know you'll agree.

PS: Thank you to all of you who let me know that Droste cocoa powder contains even higher amounts of lead than Hershey's. Embarrassingly, I didn’t even question Droste because it’s a European company, and I assumed the European's general higher standards for food production would put Droste's lead levels in a safe zone. Not so!

That said, when I did the math, there are roughly 4.5 grams of cocoa per brownie. Not ideal to be eating anything with lead, obviously, and when I find a substitute that works well and contains low levels of lead, I will report back. Stay tuned!

Two More Bars to Try

​Brown Butter Blondies with Sea Salt​

​Deb Perelman's Bake Sale Winningest Gooey Oat Bars​

What I'm Craving: Vegetables

​Broiled Broccoli with Sesame Scallion Sizzle (so fast and tasty)

​Cauliflower Steaks with Walnut-Caper Salsa​

​Crispy Homemade Oven Fries (a family favorite)

​Twice-Roasted Carrots with Honey and Almonds​

​Roasted Broccoli Steaks with Olives and Bread Crumbs​

How Long Can Pizza Dough Last in The Fridge?

In Friday's pizza newsletter, I wrote about how long pizza dough can last in the fridge as well as one indicator to help you determine if your dough is past its prime.

Thank You

Thank you to all who have already pre-ordered my new cookbook, Pizza Night. You've likely heard this before, but pre-orders are so important — they signal to bookshops and other retailers that there's excitement about this book, which in turn encourages them to stock their shelves with it.

If you are new here, Pizza Night will be published on April 16th and includes 52 pizza and 52 salad recipes, one combination for every week of the year, as well as five simple desserts.

5 Free Resources Available to You

• ​8-Video Chopping Tutorial​
• ​5 Secrets to Foolproof Bread Baking 🍞🍞 (email course)
• ​Sourdough Demystified 🍞🍞 (email course)
• ​Pizza School 🍕🍕 (email course)
• ​Pizza Every Friday: A Friday Newsletter for Pizza Enthusiasts