MY FAVORITE BROWNIES

This recipe produces brownies which are richly flavored with chocolate and which have a consistency like a very rich moist cake, about halfway between fudgy-chewy and cake brownies. If the mixing is done by mixer, than the brownies will be more cake-like.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Chop 1/2 cup walnuts.

Roughly chop by hand a 4 ounce semi sweet chocolate bar. It needs to be no smaller than bite-size chunks (Do not use chocolate chips.) This needs to be a brand that is both for cooking AND eating as is. I personally like to use Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate for Baking and Eating.

Set the walnuts and the chocolate aside.

Sift together dry ingredients:

1 1/8 cup flour

1 1/8 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

6 T. cocoa powder

In separate bowl mix BY HAND:

6 T. room temperature butter

NOTE: The butter needs to be soft enough to hand blend.

So, you might have to heat the butter in the microwave first for a few seconds.

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs

1/2 t. vanilla

Mix BY HAND, the dry ingredients into the butter mixture. DO NOT OVER MIX. YOU JUST DON'T WANT ANY OF THE INGREDIENTS TO BE DRY. (Overmixing will change the texture, to a heavier fudge like consistency.) Just before completely mixed add the walnuts and chocolate chunks. The dough will be heavy and sticky. Spray a 8x8 brownie pan with baking spray. Use the back of a spoon to press the dough evenly into the brownie pan. Bake the brownies for 30 minutes. Cool the brownies on a cooling rack in their pan for 60 minutes. Use a serrated knife dipped in hot water to cut the brownies into 16 pieces.

ENJOY! (Try not to eat the whole pan, Save some for later.)