Chocolate Brownies

By LoriCaputo

Ingredients

• 10 tbs. butter
• 1 ¼ cups sugar
• ¾ cup plus 2 tbs. cocoa powder, natural or Dutch – process
• ¼ tsp. Salt
• ¼ tsp. Vanilla
• 2 cold large eggs
• ½ cup flour
• 2/3 cup walnut or pecan pieces

Preparation

Step 1

Position rack in lower third of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees. Line the bottom and sides of the baking dish with parchment paper, leaving a 2 inch overhand on opposite sides.
Combine the butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt in a heatproof bowl and set the bowl in a wide skillet of barely simmering water. Stir the mix from time to time until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth and hot enough that you want to remove your finger fairly quickly after dipping it. Set the bowl aside until the mixture is warm.
Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon. Add the eggs, one at a time, stirring vigorously after each addition. When the batter looks thick, shiny and well blended, add the flour and stir until you can no longer see any traces of flour, then mix vigorously for 40 strokes using a wooden spoon. Stir in the nuts, and spread mixture evenly in the lined pan.
Bake until a toothpick in the center emerges slightly moist, 20 – 25 minutes. Let cook completely then lift up the end of the parchment and transfer to a cutting board.