Brownies, by Nigella

This is one of my first cookbooks I ever received. I remember being horrified by the amount of butter (and ingredients like mincemeat and grouse) Nigella uses, but luckily for my tastebuds, and all those I share my food with, I got over it! Yeah for butter! Three cheers for butter!

This cookbook has some real gems in it, but today we focus on the best brownies I have ever put in my mouth. Nigella suggests making these brownies instead of birthday cake and she decorates them with candles. Not a bad idea, I say.



1 2/3 cups soft, unsalted butter
13 ounces best bittersweet chocolate
6 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 2/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups chopped walnuts (they really need something nutty to break up the richness so choose whatever nut you do like to eat if not walnuts)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line your 13X9 pan with foil or parchment.
Melt the butter and chocolate together in a large heavy pan.
In a bowl or large measuring glass, beat the eggs with the vanilla and sugar.
Measure the flour into another bowl along with the salt.
When the chocolate has melted, let it cool a bit before beating in the eggs and sugar (or you might scramble the eggs!), then add the nuts and flour. Beat to combine smoothly and then scrape out of saucepan into the lined 13X9 pan.
Bake about 25 minutes. When it's ready, the top should be dried to a paler brown speckle, but the middle still dark and dense and gooey. [I do let mine go a little longer because I don't like it to be too much on the 'gooey' side]. Nigella warns to "keep checking because the difference between gungy brownies and dry brownies is only a few minutes, remember that they will continue to cook as they cool."