Superlatives are common in food writing and I’m not immune. I’ll often say something is the best ever, but only because it’s better than the last thing I tasted that I thought was the best. In the case of these brownies, though, I’m not exaggerating.

I’ve been craving brownies for about a month, probably because things have been so stressful at work but also because it’s negative 10 degrees outside and my fingers and toes are frozen. I start craving something warm and chocolate for dessert, and I won’t settle for a cup of hot chocolate.

That’s where these brownies come in. I found the recipe on one of my favorite new blogs, Broma Bakery. Initially I was skeptical because the recipe calls for whole wheat flour. I thought it would be disgusting but it actually works in the brownies’ favor. The whole wheat flour adds some texture and makes the brownies even thicker and richer.

Plus, you don’t notice the flour because there’s a lot going on in the brownies. There are eggs, unsweetened cocoa powder, light brown sugar, and salted butter. The ingredients come together to create a brownie that’s rich, soft, chewy, sweet, and slightly salty. The salt balances the sweet.

I ended up cutting the amount of salt that I added to the recipe because the butter was already salted, and I tasted the batter and I didn’t think it needed more. But if you’re a big fan of salt in your chocolate, you can go ahead and add the full 3/4 teaspoon of salt.

I ate one of the brownies straight out of the pan but I also saved a few, heated them up and ate them with a scoop of black raspberry ice cream the next day for dessert. They’re delicious on their own or in an ice cream sundae.

Here’s a song to get you started on your best brownie ever journey. A little known fact about me is that I ran into the lead singer of the Bad Bad Hats last summer in Washington, D.C., and chased her down the wharf to get her autograph.