dear all,

i got this recipe on Deja (Nov 30) and decided it would be my birthday treat. (I love chocolate but dare not to enjoy too much for the obvious reason!) it is, indeed as the author has claimed, the best one i'd ever tasted. however, the brand of chocolate he suggested was not to be found here so i used Swiss chocolate instead. Nevertheless, i included the entire original post here. do have a look. enjoy!

eggy/m'sia
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"After some experimentation, I have arrived at what I think is the most chocolatey brownie you can make while still retaining proper texture and form. This is really a decadent brownie - I very much doubt the average person can escape feeling like a total sinner with any more consumption than a 1" * 2" piece (nonetheless, I cut them in 3" * 3" squares - a good brownie should be a good size, as well). Anyway, you won't believe how intense the chocolate impact is from these, or how moist they still are. The texture I believe perfectly splits the divide between cakey, chewy, and fudgy. One thing is imperative. Use a high-quality brand of chocolate. I do not recommend using Baker's brand. Ghirardelli is the minimum I'd recommend. Here's the recipe:

Brownies

14 oz. (1 3/4 cup) dark brown sugar
12 oz. unsweetened chocolate
9 oz. (1 1/8 cup) white bread flour
5 oz. (10 tbsp) unsalted butter
3 large eggs
1 vanilla bean
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 F. Thoroughly grease a 9" * 9" square pan and set in the refrigerator. Break the chocolate into small pieces, melt carefully in a double boiler, remove from heat, and set aside to cool. Slit the vanilla bean lengthwise with a knife and scrape the insides in a large bowl along with the sugar and the salt. Mix well, breaking up lumps in the sugar. Cut the butter into small squares. Mix it in to the sugar (a wooden spoon works great for this) until thoroughly blended, minimizing air addition (i.e. do not cream). Stir in the chocolate and mix until fully blended. Add the eggs, one by one, stirring each until it is fully incorporated before adding the next. Blend in the flour slowly - this will take some effort: the mix should have the consistency of firm cookie dough. Spread the mixture into the pan and smooth with a knife. Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes. Cool completely and cut into squares as large as you want when you are ready to serve.

Alex Rast"