Deep, dark, delicious brownies

Everybody needs to have a good brownie recipe in their repertoire. It's right up there with chocolate chip cookies in my book. Brownies are even a little better than cookies in several situations - like when you are PMSing or company is coming over. All you need is some vanilla ice cream, raspberries, and perhaps a little caramel or fudge sauce and you have an impressive dessert. I've also gone a little overboard and cut the brownies into 2 big pieces and made a rectangular layer "cake" filled with chocolate ganache and raspberries. Holy frick that was so good!!

This recipe is my take on Thomas Keller's brownie recipe from AdHoc. I've made his version and I can confidently say these are better. I think it has to do with the combination of cocoa powder and melted dark chocolate which gives a better texture and deeper flavor. The note I wrote at the top of my dirty, chocolate-stained recipe says "A+, Insane (triple underlined), recipe worth millions (with a smiley face and dollar signs). That's some enthusiasm, no? Either that, or you may just think me a wee-bit self-impressed.

Here is my favorite brownie recipe. Please don't start selling these, I'm still optimistic this recipe will make me millions.

Ingredients:

3/4 C flour
1/2 C cocoa
heaping 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips + 1.5 cups dark choc chips
3 sticks butter (yes, really)
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt
3 eggs
1 1/2 C sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Melt butter and heaping 1/2 cup of chocolate chips over double broiler (or just very carefully in a saucepan). Set aside to cool slightly.
In a bowl, mix flour and cocoa and salt.
In electric mixer, blend eggs and sugar for 3 minutes. Add vanilla.
Add dry ingredients and butter/choc mixture alternately to the egg mixture in 3 additions.
Lastly, add the remaining 1 1/2 cup chocolate chips.

Bake for approximately 40 minutes in a 9 x 13 pan or whatever you want to use. I always line my pan with foil for easy removal. Best trick ever.

As a sidenote (and to really freak out any type-A bakers- hi Megan and Lisa!), I often will cut this recipe in half. I use 2 eggs and just estimate the rest. Sorry to be so vague, but they always turn out delish.

Peach agrees that this is a brownie beyond compare.