Brownies

Best Cocoa Brownies

For Christmas last year, one of my employees baked for me this brownie recipe, and I do believe I ate the whole batch in one afternoon.  They were incredible.  Afterward, I kindof went a little crazy, trying to make the recipe even more perfect.  I probably baked three batches a week for an entire month.  I brought the brownies to work, to my writing group, and even to the bar on trivia night (to which a skeptical lady in her mid-50's inquired, "Are they... special brownies?")  In the end, I did decide that the original recipe was really quite awesome, but I prefer to add three tablespoons of ancho chili powder to give it a little zing.

Don't tell my landlord.

Today I have a potluck for my new crew of AmeriCorps members, so before eating breakfast this morning, I whipped up a batch and stuck them in the oven.  Earlier this week I baked a strata, which kindof ended up all over the bottom of the oven, so to keep from waking up my neighbors, I've rigged up a system for disabling my smoke alarm.  It's very Jayme Johnson.  (Yes, that is a shower cap.)

Observations & Tips

If you're going to try this recipe, I recommend using parchment paper to line the pan, as opposed to greasing it.  If you're like me and you hate to wash dishes, this method is awesome.

Also, you may be tempted to eat/share these brownies when they're piping hot from the oven, but they're really at their best when completely cooled - gravity pulls the ingredients together, creating a more dense, chewy, tasty brownie.  (However, I do recommend eating them warm if you're serving them with ice cream.  Julie's Organic is the best - available at the co-op.)