Dear Rebekah,

The best recipe I have ever come across for basic brownies was on the back of the Baker's Chocolate box years and years ago. (The current one on the box is similar but calls for less chocolate.) This recipe does not call for any leavening; it is provided by the eggs. These are rich, dense and chewy -- exactly the way brownies should be!

BAKER'S CHOCOLATE BROWNIES

4 squares (1 ounce each) unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup unsalted butter
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup flour
1 tsp vanilla
3/8 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan.

Mix all ingredients together. Spread in prepared baking pan.

Bake at 325 degrees F for 35 to 40 minutes. Cool and cut into squares.

TIPS:
Be careful not to overcook. The brownies may look gooey after 35 to 40 minutes of baking, but they will tighten up as they cool.

Now, if you want to use unsweetened cocoa powder, you can substitute it for the chocolate squares called for. In addition to the butter in the recipe, you must use 3 tablespoons cocoa powder plus 1 tablespoon fat for each square. In the above recipe, that would amount to 3/4 cup cocoa plus 3 tablespoons extra fat.

Best of baking,

Marilyn