the kind of person I am...

That last quarter of a killer brownie that's still sitting in the pan from dinner the other night. The one that just keeps getting smaller because everyone else isn't selfish enough to eat the last brownie...

I eat it for breakfast. No guilt whatsoever. Because that's the kind of person I am.

Killer Brownie recipe

Really, these are the best brownies. Crispy on the edges, fudgy in the middle. Rich, rich, rich with no fantsy-pantsy chunks or caramel or rice crispies. Just pure unadulterated brownie.

8 oz of unsweetened chocolate (use organic or fair trade so you can eat your brownies sans guilt)
1 cup organic butter (I use unsalted, but if you use salted butter, cut the sea salt to 1/2 tsp or less)
5 free-range eggs (meaning that the chickens are free range, not the eggs themselves...)
3 cups organic sugar (get this fair trade, too, if you can!)
1 tablespoon vanilla (I didn't use organic, but will when I use up all the vanilla I already own. I'd recommend the special vanilla* for any Mormons trying this recipe)
1-1/2 cups organic white flour (though next time I'll try a mixing in some whole wheat flour just to see what happens)
1 teaspoon sea salt
optional: 2-1/2 cups chopped pecans


Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Melt chocolate and butter in a saucepan over low heat, then set aside (do remember to lick the spoon on this one--it will send you to all kinds of happy chocolaty places). In a stand mixer, beat eggs, sugar and vanilla at high speed for 10 minutes. Stir in chocolate mixture, flour and salt until just mixed. Add the nuts. Pour into greased 9x13 pan.

Bake for 35 min.

*Growing up in an LDS home that eschewed alcohol, "the special vanilla" referred to the vanilla beans soaking in a mysterious bottle of dark rum that we used for our extra-special recipes

photo by yum9me