Supernatural Brownies

A couple of years ago, we took a recreational class at the Institute of Culinary Education that was all about chocolate-- chocolate cake, brownies, shakes, truffles, hot chocolate, and other things that I know I'm forgetting. The class was a treat, and I highly recommend taking a class at ICE if you have the chance-- you get a booklet of recipes, to meet other people, to sit down to a lovely meal prepared by other ICE students, enjoy a glass of wine, and then to eat your hard work.



In this class, we made these amazing, "supernatural" brownies, and they were immediately declared my favorite brownie. They beat Nigella's with her pound of butter and the pain I get in my heart when I eat them; they nudged out Cook's Illustrated too, with their three different kinds of chocolate. And they were so, so easy!



About a year later, the New York Times did a spread on brownies and featured Nick Malgeri's supernatural brownie recipe, the same one we used in class. It sparked my memory of those perfectly moist, crackly topped brownie and I was all set to make them again.



Except I didn't. Until last night. Please. Don't make the same mistake I did. Make these, and make them regularly. Life is too short not to have these at least on a monthly basis.

Supernatural Brownies
From Nick Malgieri, The Institute of Culinary Education, and the New York Times

2 sticks (16 tablespoons) butter, more for pan and parchment paper
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
4 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup dark brown sugar, such as muscovado
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or 3/4 cup whole walnuts, optional.

1. Butter a 13-by-9-inch baking pan and line with buttered parchment paper (I didn't use parchment and it was fine). Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In top of a double boiler set over \simmering water, or on low \in a microwave, melt butter and chocolate together. Cool slightly. In a large bowl or mixer, whisk eggs. Whisk in salt, sugars and vanilla.

2. Whisk in chocolate mixture. Fold in flour just until combined. If using chopped walnuts, stir them in. Pour batter into prepared pan. If using whole walnuts, arrange on top of batter. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until shiny and beginning to crack on top. Cool in pan on rack.

Yield: 15 large or 24 small brownies.

Note: I actually quartered the recipe to accomodate the amount of butter I had. It fit perfectly in an 8 inch cake pan, which is why you see a brownie wedge rather than a brownie square.