I Love Choco!

I have a confession to make. Well, two actually.

One: I'm a procrastibaker. Every time I should be doing this house receives an overabundance of baked goods.
Two: I never used to like brownies. Don't ask. Don't try to rationalise it. I don't know either. Let's just move on with our chocolate induced, gooey, spectacular lives. Capiche?

I got this recipe from honey & jam who got it from smitten kitchen: two bloggers who I trust with my sweety-pie taste buds, and I only made a few minor adjustments.

Firstly I used a bain-marie (see: bowl over boiling water on stove) because although we might seem savvy, we actually live in the stone age and don't own a microwave. Old school for life.
Secondly, I made 1.5 worth of the mixture because there can never be enough brownie. I believe the result is 1.5 times better.
Thirdly, I added hazelnuts because I just happened to have them lying around.

I also think this would be delicious with figs, or if you're a purist you could remove the additions altogether. But seriously, the hazelnuts add something magical. It's like a crunchy, nutella brownie. Yum.

Best Cocoa Brownies

Adapted from honey & jam (via smitten kitchen via Jane Storm’s Bittersweet) Makes 16 larger or 25 smaller brownies (or, one giant brownie of awesome).

10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks, 5 ounces or 141 grams) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups (9 7/8 ounces, 280 grams) sugar 
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (2 7/8 ounces, 82 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-process)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, cold
1/2 cup (66 grams, 2 3/8 ounces) all-purpose flour
2/3 cup walnut, hazelnut, or pecan pieces (optional)

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 165°C (325°F). Line the bottom and sides of an 8×8-inch square baking pan with baking paper. Combine the butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt in a medium heatproof bowl and make a 'bain-marie' by placing the bowl over a boiling pot of water. Remember to have only ~1" of water so it doesn't hit the mixing bowl. (Alternatively, microwave for 1:30 minutes). Remove and stir until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth. Set aside briefly until the mixture is only warm, not hot. It should be a gritty, chocolatey texture.

Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously after each one. When the batter looks thick, shiny, and well blended, add the flour and stir until you cannot see it any longer, then beat vigorously for 40 strokes with the wooden spoon or a rubber spatula. Stir in the nuts, if using. Spread evenly in the lined pan.

Bake until a toothpick plunged into the center emerges slightly moist with batter. This took me around 45+ minutes, but other recipes suggest only 25-30 minutes. I'd just start checking on it at 25 minutes and go from there. Let cool completely on a rack. If you want to achieve clean, straight lines place it in the fridge for a while to set it. If you're my kinda girl (or guy) you'll eat it semi-warm with a scoop of ice-cream. My tastebuds care not for straight lines.