Brownies for Breakfast

Brownies!

I made these for dessert last night, but since they're scratch brownies they won't keep as long as box brownies with all the preservatives (those things will last, like, 10 days), which means it would be completely irresponsible of me not to consume them all quickly before they go stale. Thus, Brownies for Breakfast! (LCBF agrees, he was helping me fight the good brownie-eating fight this morning).

Basic brownie recipe after the jump:




This recipe produces a tasty, substantial brownie that's somewhere between cake-like and fudgey, but more on the gooey side of the brownie spectrum.

Here is a scientific chart of brownie attributes; X marks these brownies:

Cake-like (almost dry)-----------------------X-------------- Gooey/fudgey (almost underdone)


Basic Brownies
(Makes one 8 x 8 pan of brownies)

4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate (I used a Ghirardelli baking bar, broken into squares)
1 stick (8 tbl.) butter
1  1/2 c. sugar
pinch salt
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1 c. flour
2 tbl. unsweetened cocoa

Melt chocolate and butter together in a double boiler or metal bowl set over a pot with boiling water in it. Cool slightly. Mix in sugar, salt, and vanilla. Beat in eggs one at a time. Sift in flour and cocoa. Mix until smooth. I recommend using a wisk rather than a mixer as over-beaten brownies are nearly inedible (I mean, I would probably still eat them, but they're not very good).

Pour into a greased 8 x 8 pan. Bake at 350 F for 30-40 min. until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out almost clean.

Pre-Baking

 Out of the oven

Serve early and often.