My Favorite Recipes

This is a recipe that I took from the Barefoot Contessa, not my favorite TV chef, but a lot good cooks from my wife’s family really love her cookbooks. This brownie recipe makes a full half sheet pan of deep, dark, rich fudge like brownies. I first made this recipe for a cookie of the month club gift that I gave my nephew and niece when they were in college. Now another group are in college and the same brownie recipe is part of a new subscription to the cookie of the month club.

The real key to this recipe is to make sure you refrigerate the brownies.  This process solidifies the chocolate, and just turns the brownies into brown squares of chocolate heaven.

Ingredients

• 1 lb unsalted butter
• 1 lb plus two cups semisweet chocolate chips, divided
• 6 oz unsweetened chocolate
• 6 eggs
• 3 Tbl instant espresso powder
• 2 Tbl vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 1/4 cups flour, divided
• 1 Tbl baking powder
• 1 tsp salt

Procedure

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour a 13×18 sheet pan.

Melt together the butter, 1 pound of the chocolate chips, and the bitter chocolate in a bowl over simmering hot water (double boiler).  Cool slightly.  Stir together the eggs, espresso, vanilla and sugar.  Stir in the warm chocolate mixture and cool to room temperature.

Stir together 1 cup flour, baking powder, and salt.  Add to the cooled chocolate mixture.  Toss the 2 cups of chocolate chips with 1/4 cup flour to coat.  then add to the chocolate batter.   Pour into the prepared pan.

Bake for about 30 minutes, or until a tester just comes out clean.  Halfway through the baking, rap the pan against the counter to allow air to escape from between the pan and the brownie dough.  Do not overbake!

Cool on the counter, then refrigerate for a  couple hours.  Cut and enjoy  or send to your favorite college student.