Rick Katz’s Brownies For Julia

First, I have to mention that my font used for titles apparently doesn't allow apostrophes.  That's probably a minor detail that no one else cared about, but it bothered me so I wanted to mention that it's there, just not showing up!
Now to the more important things: brownies. Dark, rich, fudgy delicious brownies. I must admit, I rarely make brownies. I absolutely love them, but I decided a long time ago that Ghirardelli brownie mix was unbeatable. It also only takes about two minutes to whip up and is virtually impossible to mess up. I think this is why I always defaulted to them. This is all a thing of the past now because I have found these.  These are for the fudgy brownie lovers. They aren't remotely cake-like, in fact they have to sit out a while and set because they're so moist inside that straight out of the oven they'll collapse. I guarantee these will eliminate even the most massive chocolate cravings with one bite...not that you'll be able to stop after one bite, but still.

Rick Katz's Brownies For Julia
Recipe from Dorie Greenspan

• 1 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces
• 4 oz. unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 2 c. sugar
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs

* I added 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips as well.


Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350º F.  Put a 9 inch square baking pan (I like to use Pyrex for this) on a baking sheet.  *I made it in an 8 x 8 pan and just cooked it for a little longer. Whisk flour and salt together.
Set a heat proof bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water, put the butter and chocolate in.  Stir frequently until the ingredients are just melted-you don’t want them to get so hot that the butter separates. (I did this in the microwave) Add 1 c. sugar and whisk gently just to incorporate it, then remove the bowl from the pan of water.   Stir in the vanilla and transfer to a large bowl.
Put the remaining cup of sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer or a medium bowl and whisking a whisk, stir in the eggs.  Switch to a rubber spatula and little by little add half of the sugar-egg mixture to the warm chocolate, stirring very gently without stopping-you don’t want the heat of the chocolate to cook the eggs.
With the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer beat the remaining sugar and eggs on medium-high for about 3 minutes, or until they double in volume.   Using a spatula and a light touch, fold the whipped eggs into the chocolate, stopping just short of blending them in completely.
Sprinkle the dry ingredients over the batter and delicately fold them in, working only until they disappear.   Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top with the spatula.
Bake for 25-28 minutes, or until the top looks dry.   Poke a thin knife into the center and take a peek:  The brownies should be only just set and still pretty gooey.
Transfer the pan to a rack and cool to room temperature.
The brownies are fragile and best cut in the pan.   Cut eighteen 1½ x 3 inch bars.