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Where to find Sydney's best brownies

We often hear claims of the best brownie ever, so we went on a hunt to settle the matter.

Kate Gibbs

Most brownie legends begin with an absentminded housewife omitting baking powder to launch the decadent square into a homey baking tradition.

We often hear claims of the best brownie ever, so we went on a hunt to settle the matter. We bypassed such frills as marshmallows and peanut butter, but allowed a tinkering with nuts, chocolate pieces and even berries. One chocolate-ganache topped brownie barely made it on the list for being almost too outlandish.

We looked for balance: too dense and sweet and you may as well call it fudge; too light and airy and it's basically cake.

These are some of the best.

Adriano Zumbo

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Those questioning the Zumbo zeitgeist should break into one of these dark chocolate squares.

The macadamia-studded bites are among the best brownies we sampled in Sydney. There is a caramel note, they're fudgy but also gooey and rich, and the combination is astoundingly good. The fresh nuts are halved and gently roasted, and the portion is very generous. Bypass the macarons for a moment. ($6).

296 Darling Street Balmain, 9810 7318 (check the website for other locations). www.adrianozumbo.com

Kitchen by Mike

They run a little thin, but these blueberry-messy slices are fudgy and cakey in all the right places. The slightly underbaked white chocolate and blueberry brownie - technically a blondie - comes with a dusting of icing sugar and a dollop of light vanilla chantilly cream. Blueberry juice oozes out with the slightest prod of a fork, and our piece was more blueberry than brownie.

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It's not a massive serve for the price, but it's rich enough and sweet enough for a couple to tussle over the plate with their spoons ($6.50).

1/85 Dunning Avenue, Roseberry, 9045 0910. www.koskela.com.au/kitchen

Luxe Bakery

“They're so polite putting the walnuts on top, it's so unassuming,” says my companion about these dense chocolate squares.

These attractive brownies are a real chocolate commitment, dense, rich and fudgy. They're served a little chilled and are firm when eaten in-house; nothing a sip of excellent espresso can't fix. Finely chopped walnuts on top don't interfere, but add a subtle nutty aroma ($4.50).

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195 Missenden Road, Newtown, 8084 1775 (see website for other locations). www.luxesydney.com.au

Lorraine's Patisserie

Loyalists have followed Lorraine from Potts Point and into the city, unable to give up the macadamia-studded cocoa hit she arranges in a glorious pile shop front.

A crusty baked top gives way to a light, cakey and chewy centre. And if you get there early enough, sometimes those dark and milk chocolate studs are still melted. It's a traditional style, true to the brownie form but done to perfection ($5).

Shop 5, Palings Lane, 320 George Street Sydney, 9254 8009. www.merivale.com.au/lorraines-patisserie

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Sweet Street Bakery

There's no fussing around with nuts and liquor, biscuits and bits; these chocolate-only slabs are some of the best in town, albeit slightly out of town.

There's a proper crust on top, which cracks open to reveal a deep, rich centre. They're light and moist, and nod to the way brownies used to be in the good old days. Pastry chef Leanne Beck, formerly of Sweet Infinity in Woolloomooloo, says there are 32 eggs per 60-piece brownie slab. More than 1200 brownies are sold a week here.

172 Church Street, Parramatta, 0488 433 019.

Campos Coffee

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Crumbled white chocolate pieces are hidden in a rich and heavy square. Are they still brownies? We'd wager there's almost no flour in these, and there's an amaretto hint that's quietly beguiling.

Paired with a small cup of Campos' cold drip, with its hints of cherries, this is a chocolatey masterstroke. It's basically fudge in texture, but it's aromatic with caramelised white chocolate, so we're giving in.

Rosetta Stone Bakery makes the Campos pastries while the Campos crew get on to more caffeine-related matters.

193 Missenden Road Newtown, 9690 0294. www.camposcoffee.com

St Honore Sourdough Bakery

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A brownie with a meringue biscuit base and a ganache top; it's enough to leave a purist reeling. We think the top and bottom should be abandoned; let the brownie be a brownie. But once inside the texture is nutty and light without being cakey.

It's not the chocolate hit seen elsewhere, which is where the five-millimetre-thick ganache on top comes in. There's a ground almond tilt to these, and the walnuts are a refreshing addition in macadamia-mad Sydney ($5.20).

Shop 2/40 Miller Street, North Sydney, 9929 4388 (see website for other locations). www.sthonorebakery.com.au

Brooklyn Hide

It promises to do bagels with New York street cred, but it’s another carb-heavy treat we had our eye on. The double-chocolate brownies have a caramel tilt, a gentle golden butter and sugar essence that works a miracle with the chocolate. Tiny white chocolate buds seem to caramelise in there too. They’re chewy and cakey with a crust on top, soft and buttery in the middle. With MasterChef Professional’s Chrissie Flanagan churning the chocolate morsels out, it looks like the brownies have street cred too ($3).

226 Commonwealth Street, Surry Hills, 9211 6448. www.facebook.com/brooklynhide

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