Yeah, you used to be on  a diet. Kiss that goodbye. There are two different kinds of brownies, the cake kind and the fudge kind. Why anyone would make the cake kind is beyond me. I mean why not just make a really good chocolate cake if you are looking for something lighter? That’s a long way of saying if you aren’t looking for a moist, dense, dark, treat heavy on chocolate and calories but not quite as dense as actual fudge, you’re in the wrong place.

You may be tempted to go with a lower grade of chocolate because that’s what they have at the supermarket. If you do you will only be cheating yourself. Well, yourself and the people you love. The children, you’ll be cheating the children. How will you live with yourself?

Equipment:

• 2 qt. mixing bowl
• whisk
• Microwave safe 1 qt. bowl
• 8×8″ baking pan
• Knife
• Bowl scraper/spatula preferably silicone

Ingredients:

• 6 oz 70% or better (by better I mean no less than 70%) bittersweet chocolate
• 3/4 cups unsalted butter
• 3 large eggs
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon Maldon (flake sea salt)
• 2 vanilla beans
• 2 teaspoons scotch or bourbon
• 1 1/4 cups bread flour

Time: 1 hour

Serves: Makes 16 reasonable sized brownies

Process:

1. Preheat oven to 350º and position a rack in the bottom third of the oven.
2. If using block chocolate, chop it up into reasonable sized chunks (1/2″ cubes or smaller) and put it in the microwave safe bowl.
3. Cut the butter into approximately 3/4″ cubes and put those in the microwave safe bowl.
4. Put the bowl in the microwave and run it at half power one minute at a time until the butter and chocolate are melted.
5. Once the chocolate and butter are melted and mixed together, set the bowl aside.
6. In the large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, salt, and bourbon/scotch.
7. Split the vanilla beans and scrape out the goo from the middle.
8. Whisk the vanilla goo into the egg mixture.
9. Whisk the chocolate/butter mixture into the eggs.
10. Add the flour 1/2 cup at a time.
11. Mix thoroughly.
12. Take a small piece of butter in a paper towel and rub it all around the inside of the 8×8″ pan.
13. Pour into the baking pan and level out with the pan scraper/spatula.
14. Put the pan in the oven for 35-40 minutes. If you put a toothpick in the middle it should come out with a couple of crumbs.
15. Let the brownies cool for about 10 minutes then cut into 16 equal pieces and let them cool. Eat as soon as you feel it’s safe.
16. Join a gym.