Julia’s got her first calendar, she’s marked February 14th with a big heart, and she’s started wishing everyone a happy Valentine’s Day. She may be jumping the gun, but it isn’t too early to start planning Valentine’s Day treats for the ones we love. This is one of Julia’s favorites.
One of the many unexpected benefits of having a kid has been remembering some of the pleasures of my own childhood. Brownies, for instance. As I searched for the brownie of my childhood, though, I found that a really good one is hard to come by. Some were dry and chewy and tasted only vaguely of chocolate, but most (including some I made) were overpoweringly sweet and heavy, more like a failed fudge than the chocolaty, slightly chewy cookie-cake hybrid I remembered.
I kept at it, though (such a hardship), and success finally came when I went back to a very simple brownie recipe and tweaked it just a bit. These brownies are rich, tender and have a deep chocolate flavor, but they’re not terribly sweet or gooey, and the chocolate flavor doesn’t overpower the flavor of the other key ingredient: butter. Best of all, they’re quick, easy and nearly foolproof. A heart shaped cookie cutter makes them into a sweet homemade Valentine’s treat.
Recipe
Ingredients
6 oz (170g)best quality bittersweet chocolate (70% cacao)
3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks)
1 1/2 cups(355ml) sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup (240ml)flour
1 cup (240ml) chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 325F (165C).
2. Butter a 9″x13″ (23x33cm) baking pan, line the bottom with kitchen parchment and then butter the parchment.
3. If using, toast the nuts in the oven on an ungreased baking sheet for about 5 minutes, until they’re fragrant and just starting to brown.
4. Place a heatproof mixing bowl over a large saucepan of simmering water (or use a double boiler — in either case, the bowl should not touch the water).
5. Coarsely chop the chocolate, cut the butter into chunks and melt them together over the simmering water.
6. Take the bowl off the heat and stir in the sugar, vanilla and then the eggs, one by one.
7. Stir in the flour and salt, eliminating any lumps.
8. If using, stir in about half of the toasted nuts.
9. Smooth the batter into the prepared pan and, if using, top with the remaining nuts.
10. Bake at 325F for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the pan comes out with a few crumbs clinging to it (not wet and ideally not completely clean). Don’t worry about this too much, though. Slightly overcooking these brownies won’t ruin them.
11. Cool for 10-15 minutes and cut. (The brownies will be easiest to cut when they’re still a little warm, but not piping hot.) If they don’t come out with the cutter, wait until they’re completely cooled to take them out of the pan.
Square-cut or heart shaped, a homemade brownie is a great way to show them the love.
