Julia Child's Brownies

I can't claim fame for this recipe, it's Julia Child's recipe but ever since I made it for the first time I have never looked back. This is in fact that best brownie recipe known to man.

Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 8 ounces unsalted butter
- 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs

Directions:

• Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350°.
• Sift the flour and salt together and set aside.
• Melt the butter and chocolate together in a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently and keeping a watchful eye on the pot to make certain the chocolate doesn’t scorch Add 1 cup of the sugar to the mixture and stir for half a minute, then remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
• Pour the mixture into a large bowl.
• Put the remaining 1 cup sugar and the eggs into a bowl and mix or whisk by hand just to combine.
• Little by little, pour half of the sugar and eggs into the chocolate mixture, stirring gently but constantly with a rubber spatula so that the eggs don’t set from the heat.
• Fit the whisk attachment to the mixer and whip the remaining sugar and eggs until they are thick, pale, and doubled in volume, about 3 minutes.
• Using the rubber spatula, delicately fold the whipped eggs into the chocolate mixture.
• When the eggs are almost completely incorporated, gently fold in the dry ingredients.
• Pour and scrape the batter in to an unbuttered 9-inch square pan.
• Bake the brownies for 25-28 minutes, during which time they will rise a little and the top will turn dark and dry.
• Cut into the center at about the 23-minute mark to see how the brownies are progressing: they’ll be perfect if they’re just barely set and still pretty gooey. They’re still awfully good on the other side of set, so don’t worry if you miss the moment on your first try.
• The brownies will keep, covered, for 2 to 3 days at room temperature and can be frozen for up to a month. Thaw, still wrapped, at room temperature. These never freeze solid, so you might want to think about using them as a mix-in for ice cream.

Tip from Vanessa: I love products that are made under "Fair Trade Regulations"which is an organized social movement that works to help producers in developing countries obtain better trading conditions and promote sustainability. The movement demands the payment of a higher price to producers as well as social and environmental standards. Chocolate & Cocoa are very easily found under fair trade regulations, find a store near you that sells them and pick some up to make these brownies!


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Recipe courtesy Vanessa Brown of www.INeverGrewUp.net
Photo courtesy This Week for Dinner and used with permission. Copyright © 2010 This Week for Dinner.