Adapted from Alice Medrich
Preheat the oven to 325. Place your oven rack into the lower third of the oven. Line your 8x8 or 9x9 baking pan (try not to use glass) with the parchment paper and leave some of the paper overhanging, in order to help you remove the brownies later.
Combine the butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt in a medium heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water (your just created a double-boiler.) Stir it occasionally until the butter is melted and the mixture is very smooth. Remove from heat and allow for the mixture to cool slightly until it's warm but no longer hot.
Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously after each addition (by stirring right away as soon as you add the eggs, you are ensuring to temper them instead of letting them sit in warm batter and scramble - so stir as soon as you add them.) Add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon until it's fully incorporated. Then beat the flour vigorously for 40 strokes with a wooden spoon; this is helping with the gluten development and therefore chewiness. Stir int the nuts, spread into the lined pan and gently press down on the brownie batter with your hands or a container to create a smooth surface.
Bake in preheated oven for around 20 minutes, perhaps a bit more or less, until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out with a few moist crumbs but not liquid batter. Ideally, check the internal temperature - we are aiming for 203° measured in the middle of the brownie on a good instant-read digital thermometer inserted at 45° angle. Allow the brownies to cool completely on wire racks. They will set and harden as they cool.
Lift up the ends of the parchment paper and transfer the brownies to a cutting board. Cut into 16 or 25 squares.
Assemble your brownie Sundae by adding ice cream and any other optional ingredients of choice.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat the oven to 325. Place your oven rack into the lower third of the oven. Line your 8x8 or 9x9 baking pan (try not to use glass) with the parchment paper and leave some of the paper overhanging, in order to help you remove the brownies later.
Combine the butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt in a medium heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water (your just created a double-boiler.) Stir it occasionally until the butter is melted and the mixture is very smooth. Remove from heat and allow for the mixture to cool slightly until it's warm but no longer hot.
Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously after each addition (by stirring right away as soon as you add the eggs, you are ensuring to temper them instead of letting them sit in warm batter and scramble - so stir as soon as you add them.) Add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon until it's fully incorporated. Then beat the flour vigorously for 40 strokes with a wooden spoon; this is helping with the gluten development and therefore chewiness. Stir int the nuts, spread into the lined pan and gently press down on the brownie batter with your hands or a container to create a smooth surface.
Bake in preheated oven for around 20 minutes, perhaps a bit more or less, until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out with a few moist crumbs but not liquid batter. Ideally, check the internal temperature - we are aiming for 203° measured in the middle of the brownie on a good instant-read digital thermometer inserted at 45° angle. Allow the brownies to cool completely on wire racks. They will set and harden as they cool.
Lift up the ends of the parchment paper and transfer the brownies to a cutting board. Cut into 16 or 25 squares.
Assemble your brownie Sundae by adding ice cream and any other optional ingredients of choice.
