Brownies

Sometimes you just feel like a brownie. Nothing else will suffice. You want good quality chocolate in a portable cakey form, with melty chocolate chips. And this hunger can only be satisfied one way. By baking them yourself.

I found myself in this predicament last night. So I made these brownies with the best quality chocolate I could get my hands on. They're good, people. Really, really good. Rich, soft, and decadent. The chocolate is the key. And take your time melting it with the butter. Enjoy the magic of cooking alchemy. It's a lovely experience, really.

Please make these. Right away.

Brownies
adapted from The Williams-Sonoma Cookbook
makes 9 brownies

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter or Smart Balance
3 oz good quality unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup sugar
salt
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour, sifted
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

1. Lightly grease an 8 x 8 baking pan. In a medium saucepan over low heat, combine butter and unsweetened chocolate. Cook, stirring often, until melted, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in sugar and a pinch of salt. Add eggs and vanilla and stir until well blended.

2. Sprinkle the sifted flour over the mixture and stir until just blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared dish and spread evenly.

3. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Do not overbake. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before cutting into 9 even squares.

Enjoy, enjoy, and enjoy again. Nine times, to be precise.