I have a growing collection of unfinished blog posts and random pictures of recipes in mid-process, but nothing that I've felt like publishing. I've been busy with work and the holidays and shows, and then I got a cold that just won't quit last week, and the house always needs to be cleaned, and you know how life goes. We've eaten plenty of good meals, and there's political fodder galore for a rant, but somehow writing just gets pushed aside in favor of bed and a few minutes with Alison Weir's fantastic volume on the wives of Henry VIII. But tonight I made what may be the best brownies on earth, and I want to share them with you.
We're going to start trying to get me pregnant (T hates the "we're pregnant" trend, since it's physiologically untrue) in a few months, so I've been making a concerted effort lately to cook more wholesome meals and fewer treats and breads featuring white flour. I am in love with black bean chili with squash and bulgar wheat, and Mark Bittman's tomato sauce featuring squash, ground lamb and cinnamon. Roasted beet salads with feta, avocado and oranges have been making routine lunch appearances. I've also been experimenting with brown breads full of seeds and nuts, trying to replicate the amazing seeded whole wheat from Whole Foods, to some success. But the February Bon Appetit arrived with the Brown Butter Cocoa Brownies on the cover, and I knew they needed to be baked, by me, immediately.
The fact of the matter is, I love chocolate. Not to the chocoholic extent (mostly because I hate the images of romance novels and minivans that the term conjures), but I can't imagine a more satisfying close to pretty much any meal than a square of dark chocolate, or a homemade treat studded with the stuff. These brownies rely on plain Hershey's cocoa powder for their oomph, but contrary to most expectations, cocoa powder creates a more intensely flavored dessert than you would get using bar chocolate. It's also a little more affordable than high quality chocolate, and a little goes a long way. Bon Appetit advises that one use plain as opposed to Dutch processed cocoa, which is darker but apparently less flavorful than unprocessed cocoa. As for the walnuts in this recipe, you could easily omit them, but then why eat a brownie? (I jest, though slightly. There was a time when I wouldn't touch a baked good with nuts in it.) If you do like them, however, the slightly bitter walnuts in this recipe cut the richness of the chocolate and brown butter just enough so that you can appreciate both flavors alone and savor their partnership, simultaneously.
Bon Appetit's Brown Butter and Cocoa Brownies
- 2 eggs, chilled
- 3/4 C cocoa
- 1/3 C plus 1 T flour
- 1/4 generous tsp salt
- 2 tsp water
- 10 T butter (1 and 1/4 sticks)
- 1 1/4 C sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a 8x8 inch pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper (leaving an inch or two draping over the sides of the pan, for easy removal), and grease lightly.
- Melt the butter over medium heat in a large pan. Stirring frequently, wait until the foam subsides and the bottom of the pan starts collecting little browned butter bits. Take off of the heat and add the cocoa, sugar, salt, water and vanilla. Combine well.
- Add the eggs one at a time, stirring well to incorporate.
- When the batter looks glossy, add the flour and stir well.
- Beat the batter 60 times (do it by hand for a nice, quick workout).
- Pour the batter into the pan and spread into the corners, leaving a nice, even top.
- Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out with a few fudgy crumbs clinging to it. Let cool in the pan on a rack.
- Once cool-ish, lift brownies out of the pan using the paper or foil and let cool completely before slicing and enjoying.
Brownies can be made up to 2 days in advance. Store cooled brownies in an airtight container.
