On-the-Fence Brownies

Brownies are a blessing to this earth. These chocolate dream cubes often carry gooey caramel, creamy peanut butter, chunky walnuts, thick frosting, crisp mint filling, fluffy marshmallows, rich ganache, and hoards of other creative confections. But sometimes, I just need to go back to the basics. These brownies are simple and delicious and they offer a perfect compromise between fudgy and cakey. They are dense and fudgy yet thick sturdy. This recipe originally came from the King Arthur Flour website. Heating the sugar in the batter preparation will dissolve more of the sugars and yield a delightful shiney top crust on the brownies.

• 1 c. (226 g) unsalted Butter
• 2 1/4 c. (450 g) Granulated Sugar
• 1 1/4 c. (125 g) Cocoa Powder
• 1 tsp (5 g) Salt
• 1 tsp (5 g) Baking Powder
• 1 TBS (15 g) Vanilla
• 4 large Eggs
• 1 1/2 c. (190 g) All-Purpose Flour
• 1 c. (170 g) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• 1 c. (226 g) Walnuts or Pecans (optional)

1. In a medium saucepan, or microwavable bowl, melt butter then add sugar and stir to combine. Return the mixture to heat breifly, just until it's hot (about 110-120 degrees), but not bubbling.


2. Stir in cocoa, salt, baking powder and vanilla. Whisk in the eggs until smooth. Add flour, chips and nuts.


3. Pour into a lightly greased 9 x 13" pan and bake at 350 F for 27-30 minutes.

This recipe can also be easily halved and baked in an 8 x 8" pan.