The Best Brownies

The Best Brownies*my version, of course Kitchen Addiction
12 T. unsalted butter
1 c. cocoa (I use natural-process, but haven't experimented much with Dutch-process)
2 c. sugar
3 eggs
1 T. vanilla
1 c. flour
1/2 t. table salt
1 1/4 c. bittersweet chocolate chunks (optional)
1 1/4. c. toasted walnuts or pecans (optional

Preheat the oven to 350˚. Spray an 8" square metal or stoneware pan with Pam or whatever you've got on hand (but Pam works best!). Set aside. (Glass pans are not ideal here. If you use one, I have no idea how long the brownies will need to bake, but glass will cause the brownies to bake slower and don't conduct heat evenly.)

Melt the butter in a medium microwave-safe mixing bowl for about 1 minute, until completely warm so that it's quite hot (but not boiling...there's no need to overdo it). Whisk in the cocoa immediately until the cocoa has completely melted and the mixture is smooth. (Not only will this prevent clumpy cocoa, but melting the cocoa makes sure that the full flavor is brought out.)

With a wooden spoon, stir in the sugar until evenly combined, then completely stir in the eggs and vanilla. Set a small sieve over the top of the mixing bowl and add the flour and salt to the sieve and sift in. Completely stir in the flour until there are no white bits left. Stir in any optional ingredients you may be using. If you're going to try chocolate pieces and nuts, you may want to back off to 1 cup each. Use a rubber or silicone spatula and spread the batter evenly (it will be very thick) into the prepared pan.

Bake 32-37 minutes. Brownies are done when they have pulled away from the sides and, more importantly, when they feel slightly firm and crusty when pressed gently in the center. A toothpick in the center will still have crumbs, but a toothpick inserted one inch from the edge should come out clean. And the best sign of all that they're done: you can smell them throughout the house. It's odd, but the smell of baked food is at its peak just as it is finally done, and two minutes before it's overcooked. If they go too long, the edges will turn a darker brown and begin to burn a touch. (They're quite forgiving if this happens, though. Just cut the edges off and no one will know.) Remove to a cooling rack to cool, and cool completely before cutting. For the cleanest edges, chill the brownies completely in the refrigerator or for a short while in the freezer before cutting.

I prefer to eat my brownies a bit cooler than room temperature. You can chill them and remove them from the refrigerator half an hour or so before serving. Or you can serve them warm with ice cream and hot fudge sauce. Store leftovers in the pan, covered with a dishtowel, at room temperature, for up to a day, covered tightly in the refrigerator for about 3 days, or freeze in Ziploc bags and pull them out when needed. (They stay very fresh in the freezer; I highly recommend this method.) Enjoy.

*Note: this recipe can easily be doubled and baked in a 9"x13" pan. The baking time will probably increase a bit, so note the instructions on how to tell when they're done. I also quadrupled the recipe, with no chocolate chunks or nuts, and it fit (though just barely) in a half sheet pan (17.5" x 12.5"). I baked it at 325˚ for 55 minutes, and they were great. And well-received.