Perfecting Brownies

My new book of choice is David Lebovitz's Ready for Dessert.  I have read and read and am loving it.  However, I have only one complaint; not enough photos.  If you are at all familiar with his blog, his photos are the best part.  The lack of eye-candy hasn't stopped me from wanting to make and re-create most everything between all 279 pages of this book.

This is that perfect recipe when you need something last minute.  This whole recipe is made in a heavy duty saucepan.  No fuss, no muss!  Anybody can make these, even my 9 year old, they are that easy!  I just pulled these brownies out of the oven and they smell so good.  If I wasn't watching was I putting in my mouth, I would eat the whole tray.

These are DELICIOUS!  Growing up, my mom made a flourless brownie (one of the 5 recipes in her repertoire) and they had a distinctive taste.  They were very fudgy, and crumbly on the top.  However, they were best if eaten the day they were made. If they made it to day two (which was rare), they just weren't as good. These remind me of my mom's brownies but with a little more depth and texture.  I am going to make these again and again and again!

Robert's Absolute Best Brownies
adapted from David Lebovitz's Ready for Desserts


ingredients:
6 Tbls. unsalted butter, cut into pieces
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 large eggs, room temp
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 cup nuts of choice, toasted and coarsely chopped


directions:
• preheat oven to 350*.  line the inside of a 9" square pan with parchment, allowing the excess to extend beyond the edges of the pan and spray with cooking spray.  
• in a medium saucepan, melt the butter, then add the chocolate and stir over low heat until the chocolate is melted and smooth.  Remove from heat and stir in the sugar & vanilla.  Beat the eggs one at a time.  Add the flour and stir energetically for 1 minute, until the batter loses its graininess and becomes smooth & glossy.  Stir in the nuts.  Today, I used toasted, blanched almonds.  I wouldn't do blanched...next time I am going to do salted almonds!
• scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake until the center feels almost set, about 30 minutes (I baked for 27 minutes).  
• let cool completely in the pan before lifting out of the parchment.


I can't wait to make these with chocolate chunks and dried cherries!