Perfect Brownies

Total Time: 50 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 16
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate or 4 ounces semisweet chocolate
• 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick plus 2 tablespoons)
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts or 3/4 cup pecans or 3/4 cup macadamia nuts or 3/4 cup pecans, toasted (optional)

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 325°f with rack on the lower-middle level.
• 2 spray 8-inch square baking pan with non-stick spray.
• 3 cut a 16-x-8-inch sheet of foil into the pan and up and over two sides and roll up overhanging sides (you will use this as a handle to remove brownies after they are cooked).
• 4 spray the foil with non-stick spray as well.
• 5 in small bowl, stir together the flour, salt and baking powder.
• 6 in a medium-sized bowl, melt the chocolate and butter together (you can do this in microwave, or over a pan of simmering water).
• 7 after the chocolate is melted, remove from the heat and whisk in the sugar and vanilla.
• 8 whisk in the eggs one at a time.
• 9 continue to stir until the mixture is completely smooth and glossy.
• 10 add the dry ingredients and stir until just incorporated.
• 11 stir in the nuts if you are using them.
• 12 pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
• 13 bake until toothpick inserted into the center comes out with wet crums, 35 to 45 minutes (if the toothpick comes out clean, the brownies are overcooked).
• 14 cool the brownies in the pan on a wire rack fo 5 minutes.
• 15 using the foil handles, pull the cooked brownie from the pan and turn it out on the rack upside down, to cool completely, this will take nearly an hour.
• 16 cut the brownies into 16 squares.
• 17 (note: if you are not going to serve immediately, wrap the whole brownie in plastic wrap, then foil and refrigerae for up to 5 days or freeze).