Moosewood Fudge Brownies

These are currently my favorite brownies. They are fudgy rather than cakey, and are still moist the next day (if any are left). They are intensely chocolate compared to the ones I used to make with cocoa or any made with a mix. Two other pluses: QUICK and EASY.

The recipe was first published in Mollie Katzen's Moosewood Cookbook (1977). I'm using the version from Moosewood Restaurant Book of Desserts (by the Moosewood Collective, 1997).

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
3 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 cup flour

• Melt butter and chocolate in the microwave on 50% power, stirring every 30 seconds or so.
• Stir in the brown sugar and vanilla.
• Stir in the eggs until the mixture is smooth and glossy.
• Add flour. Stir or fold in with spatula just until combined.
• Spread in greased 8" x 8" pan and bake at 350* for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted halfway towards the center no longer comes out gooey. It may have moist crumbs attached. DO NOT OVERBAKE.

Notes:

• I use regular (not unsalted) butter because there is no salt in the recipe.
• This is of course easy to double. Spread into a 9" x 13" pan.
• Don't use a 9" square pan; an 8" square is much closer to half a 9" x 13".
• It's no mistake--there is no leavening (baking powder). That's one reason they're not cakey.
• These are yummy as is, but my children prefer them sprinkled with SEMISWEET mini m &m's, which I am now having trouble finding in the grocery store.
• I like them sprinkled with nuts, although the amount shown above is a bit too much (big chunks). I do think it's better to put the nuts on top so nut-phobes can avoid them and so they get a bit toasty (and thus more flavorful) during baking.
• The recipe suggests adding instant coffee (which I haven't tried) or cinnamon. I used 1/2 tsp of high quality cinnamon last time, but couldn't taste it. It must take a lot to compete with all that chocolate!
• Did you notice that only one bowl gets dirty?
• There is no need to adjust the temperature for glass vs. metal pans. I lowered the temp for a glass pan a few batches ago, and they took FOREVER to bake.

UPDATE (April 2010): For a Mexican/Aztec style brownie, add some heat and sweet spiciness. Today I made the recipe above, but included 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chile pepper (smoky and warm) and 2 tsp cinnamon (even better than the China Cassia linked to above). Delicious! I consider this an adult (sophisticated) flavor, but some of the children who tasted samples also enjoyed it.