Dorie Greenspan's Bittersweet Brownies

I had no business baking brownies today. But I really, really wanted my whole house to smell like a chocolate factory. Well that and I'm a terrible baker. I need the practice. Plain and simple. You know that saying, bake it and they shall come? Not around here they don't. Everyone knows better!

Last year for her birthday I asked my Mom, "If you could have anything in the whole wide world for your party what would it be?" Without hesitating she said, "An orange cake. I love orange cake but no one else does so I never make it and we never have it. An orange cake would be really nice."

Sounded like a simple request to me. I mean if you can make banana bread you ought to be able to make an orange cake, right?

For the most part I don't really believe in using fancy butter and expensive ingredients (especially with my track record of baking and failing at baking) but it was my Mom's birthday. And all she wanted was a little old orange cake. I splurged on the finest ingredients I could get my hands on - King Arthur flour, organic oranges, French butter, Farmer's Market eggs, my very best vanilla extract and sea salt imported from France.

After a lot of sifting, chopping, measuring and combing of ingredients, the batter looked to be enough for ten cakes. Ignoring the obvious warning signs, I poured the deliciously smooth, heaven scented cake batter into the prepared Bundt pan.

		Achieving and maintaining good health doesn't mean you have to cut out all your favorite foods. Real desserts in my house are served on light meal nights and days I haven't skipped my workout. I'm having squash soup and a tossed salad for dinner. The rest of the brownies have already been wrapped up and are on their way to my brother's house for his family to enjoy. Left on my counter for any length of time and I'd eat them all.

Forty minutes later and it's season one of I Love Lucy in my kitchen - the Pioneer Woman episode when the girls were challenged to live without modern conveniences. Ethel churns butter for breakfast while Lucy adds 13 cakes (about 13 ounces) of yeast to her grandmother's bread recipe instead of the three cakes (or 3 ounces) called for.

My mistake? I used Self-rising flour instead of Cake flour. Not a problem unless you're trying out for Ace of Cakes with a Leaning Tower of Piza entry. Self-rising flour has added baking powder and baking soda—both leavening agents that cause batters to rise when baked. I might as well have a stuck a candle in an 8 foot Plaster of Paris Science Fair Volcano and sung Happy Birthday.

Don't worry. This isn't my brownie recipe. It's Dorie's. Dorie Greenspans. The Dorie Greenspan. Author of Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan. When the book first came out my Mom bought five copies and gave one to each of her children. My sisters and I have probably given out at least a dozen as gifts between us. It's that good.

Tip: The recipe calls for a 9 x 13 inch pan, which translates to way too many brownies for my house. I halve the ingredients and bake them in an 8 x 8 inch pan and cook them for 18-20 minutes (checking them after 15).

Tip: Dorie says "…using premium quality bittersweet chocolate makes all the difference". She likes Valrhona Manjari for their "subtle spiciness reminiscent of the nuances you find in good wine."

Note: I've modified some of the steps in the recipe which means I'll probably never be invited to wash Dories dirty cake pans. Her original directions can be found on page 90 of her book, which belongs on your shelf if you haven't purchased it already.

Tip: The recipe calls for you to butter foil to line the baking dish. Butter the foil while it's on your counter or a flat surface and it won't tear the way it can when you're buttering the foil after it's been pressed into the pan.

Tip: I almost always never use a water bath to melt chocolate. I use a heavy bottomed (AL-Clad) pot and low heat (the lowest setting) to get the job done.

Ingredients:

8 x 8 inch	9x13 inch
1	2	sticks unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
1 1/2	9	ounces bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped
3/4	1 1/2	cups sugar
2	4	large eggs
1	2	teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2	1	Tablespoon espresso powder (optional)
1/4	1/2	teaspoon salt
1/2	1	cup all-purpose flour
1	2	cups (or more) walnuts or pecans (optional)

	Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 325°F. Line a 9 x 13 inch-pan with foil and butter the foil. Place pan on a baking sheet and set aside.
	Put the butter and the chocolate in a heavy bottomed pan and melt over low heat until just melted. Remove from heat.
	Using a whisk, stir in the sugar. The mixture might get grainy but it will even out. Whisk in the eggs one by one, then add the vanilla and whisk to smooth the batter.
	Finally, stir in the espresso powder (if using), salt, flour and nuts (if using) and mix just until incorporated.
	Scrape the batter into the prepared brownie pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Bake 20 to 22 minutes or until the top is dull and a think knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
	Transfer the pan to a rack and cook the brownies to room temperature. When completely cool, turn brownies out onto a cutting board, peel away and discard the foil. Cut into 32 slender rectangles (about 2 1/4 x 1 1/2 inches each) (or smaller if you prefer).

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