Deep Chocolate... The Final Frontier.

Ok. Not the final frontier, but it was a chocolate or die kind of day. What can I say? I was having a chocolate craving. Actually it was more than a craving. It was one of those give-me-chocolate-or-get-out-of-my-way moments. You know what I'm talking about. In that moment, chocolate was the final frontier.

Anyway, my go to recipe for those moments when it's give me chocolate or deal with my wrath, is brownies. I know, I know. Brownies. But wait. You have not had these brownies. They are the perfect amount of chewy and not too sweet. They are a cinch to make so you can whip em up right before you sit down and they are done just about the time you are winding down your meal.

You can add nuts if you are into that. I'm not. I'm a chocolate purist. You can also add dark chocolate chips (1/2 cup) if you need more oomph. Any way you do these, stand back! They are divine!!

I also have a Baker's Edge pan. It may be the best thing EVER. It makes it so EVERY piece is an edge piece. Which, in my book, is Heaven. I also use it for lasagna...but that is a different post.  If you make this for that pan, double it.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp espresso powder (optional)
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup walnuts coarsely chopped (optional) 

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a baking dish.

Melt the butter and stir in sugar. Stir in eggs 1 at a time. Add vanilla. Add all dry ingredients to a separate bowl and mix. stir into butter mixture. Spread into baking dish and bake for 25 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted into the center comes out (almost) clean.

The almost clean is pretty important. It shouldn't be sloppy, but it should have a little stuff on it. A clean toothpick is an overdone and dry brownie.

Cool in pan on a wire rack. Best served warm with cold milk. :)