Best Best Ever Brownies From Baking With Julia Child Recipes

RICK KATZ'S BROWNIES FOR JULIA CHILD

Steps:

• Getting ready: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put a 9-inch square baking pan (Pyrex is good for this) on a baking sheet.
• Whisk the flour and salt together.
• Set a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water, put the butter in the bowl and top with the chopped chocolate. Stir frequently until the ingredients are just melted - you don't want them to get so hot that the butter separates. Add 1 cup of the sugar and whisk gently just to incorporate it, then remove the bowl from the pan of water. Stir in the vanilla and transfer the warm chocolate to a large bowl.
• Put the remaining 1 cup sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer or a medium bowl and, using a whisk, stir in the eggs. Switch to a rubber spatula and, little by little, add one half of the sugar-egg mixture to the warm chocolate, stirring very gently but without stopping - you don't want the heat of the chocolate to cook the eggs.
• With the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer, beat the remaining sugar and eggs on medium-high speed for about 3 minutes, or until they double in volume. Using the spatula and a light touch, fold the whipped eggs into the chocolate mixture, stopping just short of blending them in completely. Sprinkle the dry ingredients over the batter and delicately fold them in, working only until they disappear. Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top with the spatula.
• Bake for 25 to 28 minutes, or until the top looks dry. Poke a thin knife into the center and take a peek: the brownies should be only just set and still pretty gooey. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool to room temperature.
• The brownies are fragile and best cut in the pan. Cut eighteen 1 1/2-x-3-inch bars.

BEST-EVER BROWNIES FROM BAKING WITH JULIA CHILD

Steps:

• Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350°. I bake them at a lower oven temp of 330°.
• Sift the flour and salt together; set aside.
• Melt the butter and chocolate together in a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently and keeping a watchful eye on the pot to make certain the chocolate doesn't scorch (Alternatively, you can melt the ingredients in the top of a double boiler over, not touching, simmering water.) Add 1 cup of the sugar to the mixture and stir for half a minute, then remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
• Pour the mixture into a large bowl.
• Put the remaining 1 cup sugar and the eggs into a bowl and mix or whisk by hand just to combine.
• Little by little, pour half of the sugar and eggs into the chocolate mixture, stirring gently but constantly with a rubber spatula so that the eggs don't set from the heat.
• Fit the whisk attachment to the mixer and whip the remaining sugar and eggs until they are thick, pale, and doubled in volume, about 3 minutes.
• Using the rubber spatula, delicately fold the whipped eggs into the chocolate mixture.
• When the eggs are almost completely incorporated, gently fold in the dry ingredients.
• Pour and scrape the batter in to an unbuttered 9-inch square pan.
• Bake the brownies for 22-26 minutes, during which time they will rise a little and the top will turn dark and dry.
• Cut into the center at about the 22-minute mark to see how the brownies are progressing: they'll be perfect if they're just barely set and still pretty gooey.
• They're still awfully good on the other side of set, so don't worry if you miss the moment on your first try.
• Cool the brownies in the pan on a rack.