Recipe from King Arthur Flour – Makes 2 dozen

After years of searching for the perfect brownie recipe, Lorelei, my sister, landed on this King Arthur Flour masterpiece. These super-moist brownies have the perfect balance of fudgy and cake-like texture. They are easy to make and are perfect to take to potlucks and other gatherings. Lorelei and I made them for a bake sale for the Riverside Resistance Revival Chorus and people came back for seconds and thirds, exclaiming how good they were.

Lorelei has a couple of tricks to ensure the brownies don’t disappoint. She uses quality Dutch chocolate which helps the richness and deep flavor. Her secret ingredient is espresso powder. The coffee really brings out the chocolate’s flavor and makes these brownies super intense.  

Ingredients

• 4 Eggs (Large) at room temperature 
• 1 ¼ C Dutch-process cocoa
• 1 t Salt
• 1 t Baking powder
• 1 t Espresso powder 
• 1 T Vanilla extract 
• 1 C Unsalted butter, room temperature (2 sticks)
• 2 ¼ C Granulated Sugar
• 1 ½ C Unbleached all-purpose flour 
• ½ C Chopped pecans

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan.
• Crack the four eggs into a bowl, add  cocoa, salt, baking powder, espresso powder and vanilla. Beat at low speed for one minute or until smooth. 
• In a medium-sized saucepan set over low heat, melt the butter, then add the sugar and stir to combine. Continue to heat until the mixture is hot (about 110°F to 120°F), but not bubbling; it’ll become shiny looking as you stir it. 
• Add the hot butter/sugar mixture to the egg/cocoa mixture, stirring until smooth.Add the pecans and blend. 
• Spoon the batter into a lightly greased 9″ x 13″ pan.
• Bake the brownies for 28 to 32 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, or with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it.