The Classic Brownie
By: Jennifer Manriquez
Published: Thursday, July 7, 2011 - 10:42am

Ingredients




1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for the pan
4 ounces (4 squares) unsweetened baking chocolate
2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

Preparation

1 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 2 Butter a 9x13" baking pan, and set aside. 3 In a heavy saucepan over low heat, melt the butter and chocolate together. 4 Pour the mixture into a large bowl and let it cool. 5 Stir in the sugar and mix well. 6 Stir in the eggs and vanilla, then stir in the flour, salt, and walnuts, if desired. 7 Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spread evenly, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 8 Let the pan cool a bit before cutting.

About


This is the fundamental brownie recipe that started all the subsequent brownie recipes on their paths to greatness! You can't go wrong here - chewy, dense, fudgy middle with a paper thin, caramelly top crust. Fantastic! If you've never made brownies before (what's wrong with you???), this is definitely the recipe to start with.