A Tale of Two Brownies

Six years ago, my mom gave me a cookbook for my birthday. As is usual with me, it took me a while to look through it and start using some of the recipes, but when I did, I liked them. I liked them a lot. Some of those recipes even made it into the ranks of my weekly standards. This cookbook is The Barefoot Contessa by Ina Garten.

The very first time I flipped through that book I noticed right away that there was a brownie recipe and that it looked good. I wanted to make it, but everytime I ventured to do so I just could not get past the 1 lb. of butter the recipe called for. That is so much butter, and no-one else in my family likes brownies so I'll be the only one eating them... that means that I'll be eating a whole pound of butter. I just can't do it. I'd see images of myself sitting down at the table with a bowl full of butter and a spoon and that thought alone was enough to prevent me from ever knuckling down and trying the recipe.

Meanwhile, time goes by. Years go by. My friend Mary Ann tells me about the amazing brownies that her neighbor, Peter Kelly makes. They are the best brownies ever, she says. They are the quintessential brownie, the ultimate brownie, the best of brownie kind. Hmmm. Sounds good. Maybe someday I'll be lucky enough to get a taste of one of these amazing brownies made by the master himself. Someday...

Well, this year for my birthday (mark this gentle reader - exactly six years to the day) Mary Ann made a batch of Peter Kelly's brownies for me. They were phenominal. I say "they were" because as of this writing they are all gone... gone the way of all good brownies. They were not too cakey, not too fudgy, very dark and chocolate with a hint of coffee and they had the much coveted thin, crinkly layer on top. They were amazing.

Now for the kicker. These brownies, these amazing creations, Peter Kelly's masterpieces were the very same brownies that I had resisted making for six years. Yes, Peter uses the Barefoot Contessa's recipe. It turns out that Ina Garten's brownies really have no more butter than anyone else's... her recipe does call for that frightening one pound of butter, but she also has you make the brownies in a half-sheet pan. If you cut the recipe in half for a 9x13 you only use 1/2 a pound of butter or if you cut it even further for an 8x8 pan you would only use 1/4 pound of butter... After all my hemming and hawing, after all my hand-wringing, after all my valiant efforts at resisting - these brownies were no worse for me than any other brownies. And on top of all that they are wondeful... Ina Garten calls them "outrageous" and I couln't agree with her more.

So, here is the fateful recipe for The Barefoot Contessa's amazing brownies (I've cut it in half so that you won't be frightened off by the pound of butter like I was - silly girl!). And thanks mom and Mary Ann and Peter Kelly for helping me find these brownies after all of these years.

One note about details... this recipe calls for extra-large eggs. If you feel inclined to run out to the store and buy a dozen extra large eggs feel free - or maybe you always have them in the fridge. I don't usually so I cheat and just use 3 large eggs... if you feel guilty about cheating you could add a little water to the recipe - you could even dissolve the instant coffee in said water and then add it. The bottom line is that either way I think you'll be happy with the resulting brownies. Oh my, this is getting complicated. Don't fuss, and don't worry. Just make them and eat them.

Ladies and Gentleman, start your ovens.

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Brownies

1/2 pound unsalted butter (2 sticks)
1/2 pound plus 6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
3 ounces unsweeted chocolate
3 extra-large eggs
1 1/2 Tablespoons instant coffee granules
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/8 cup sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour plus 1/8 cup
1/2 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Butter and flour a 9 x 13 baking pan.

Melt together the butter, 1/2 pound chocolate chips, and the unsweetened chocolate in a medium bowl over simmering water. When melted, remove bowl from heat and allow to cool slightly.

In a large bowl, stir (do not beat) together the eggs, coffee granules, vanilla, and sugar. Stir the warm chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and allow to cool to room temperature.

In a medium bowl, sift together 1/2 cup of flour, the baking powder and salt. Add the cooled chocolate mixture.

Toss the walnuts and 6 ounces of chocolate chips in a medium bowl with 1/8 cup flour, then add to the chocolate batter.

Pour into the prepared baking pan.

Bake for 20 minutes, then rap (as in: to strike with a quick, smart, or light blow) the baking sheet against the oven shelf to force the air to escape from between the pan and the brownie dough. Bake for about 15 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Do not overbake! Allow to cool thoroughly, refrigerate, and cut into squares.

Enjoy!