I have pretty high standards when it comes to brownies. It's gotta be good quality chocolate taste, the right texture, not too cakey, not too dry, a good amount of moist on the inside yet chewy on the outside, especially on the edges, and a shiny crackly top!!!When I saw the ad for this recipe and they claimed it was the best-ever brownie, I had to try it! And yes, I have to agree, this brownie met every one of my expectations, hopes, dreams and desires that I could possibly have in a brownie!!!
Cocoa Brownies with Browned Butter and Walnuts
Prep 20 min. Total 4 hours 50 min (includes cooling time)
Makes 16.
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
Aluminum foil
10 tbsp (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp water
1/4 tsp (generous) salt
2 large eggs, chilled
1/3 cup + 1tbsp unbleached all purpose flour
1 cup walnut pieces
Position rack in bottom third of oven; preheat to 325F.
Line 8x8x2-inch metal baking pan with foil, pressing foil firmly against pan sides and leaving 2-inch overhang. Coat foil with nonstick spray. (Don't skip the foil if you want to get these out of the pan in intact pieces!)
Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking until butter stops foaming and browned bits form at bottom of pan, stirring often, about 5 minutes.
Remove from heat; immediately add sugar, cocoa, 2 tsp water, vanilla, and salt. Stir to blend.
Let cool 5 minutes (mixture will still be hot).
Add eggs to hot mixture 1 at a time, beating vigourously to blend after each addition. When mixture looks thick and shiny, add flour and stir until blended. Beat vigourously 60 strokes. (The beating makes the gluten in the flour take on that awesome chewy consistency!) Stir in nuts. Transfer batter to prepared pan.
Bake brownies until toothpick inserted into center comes out almost clean (with a few moist crumbs attached), about 25 minutes. Cool in pan on rack. Using foil overhang, lift brownies from pan. Cut into 4 strips. cut each strip crosswise into 4 brownies.
DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.
Confession: I ate SEVEN out of 16 pieces!! Bad, bad, bad.... so today I sent the rest of the batch for the guys at Nathan's work. I also fed 2 pieces to the Cogeco techy who was installing our cable and internet. He says Cogeco overworks the techies to the point that they have to cut corners with the customers... but I think the brownies helped him to an excellent job!! Guess I'll have to make brownies everytime we need a techy over!!
