I have to say that moving has been the most stressful thing I've ever done. I don't know how people do it all the time! But now that it's actually over, I'm enjoying all the space I have, and looking forward to decorating and putting my stamp on the place over the years. And did I mention my new best friend the dishwasher? Definitely my favourite appliance ever!
Speaking of which, I've been giving it a workout in the two plus weeks I've lived here. I haven't done a lot of cooking, but I'm slowly getting back into the routine. There's something really calming for me to get into the kitchen and get out familiar bowls or well-used pans and creating something. I find it soothing to stir a pan of something, anything really, over a hot stove, or to thoughtfully measure out ingredients for a cake. When I'm doing that, I'm not thinking about my impending mortgage payments, or how much the price of oil will rise this year, or how to avoid having veggie scraps freeze to the inside of my new green bin.
So in that vein, and given that I might have been a wee bit stressed out these past few weeks, I decided to combat the chaos with a little baking magic. I stumbled across this recipe and it appealed to both my love of chocolate and love of low-tech recipes that require few ingredients and little-to-no equipment. It's about as old school cooking as you can find these days.
The brownies start off by melting the butter, sugar and cocoa. I'm sure it would work equally well in a microwave, but I liked having to stand watch over the bowl as it heated up. The mixture does look a bit grainy during this step, but things improve.
Ta da! The mix smooths out after you add the eggs. All that's missing now are the nuts.
Here's how they looked coming out of the oven. They smelled even better, believe me!
And here's a finished bite. These are really chocolately, fudgey brownies, and they weren't terribly hard to make at all. The best part -- and arguably the most dangerous part -- is that you likely have all the ingredients handy in your kitchen right now. So what's your excuse for not whipping up a batch?
Best Cocoa Brownies
Makes 16 larger or 25 smaller brownies
1/2 c. plus two tbsp. unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups (9 7/8 ounces, 280 grams) sugar
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (2 7/8 ounces, 82 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-process)
1/4 teaspoon salt (or a heaping 1/4 teaspoon flaky salt, as I used)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, cold
1/2 cup (66 grams, 2 3/8 ounces) all-purpose flour
2/3 cup walnut or pecan pieces (optional)
Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F. Line the bottom and sides of an 8×8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper or foil, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides.
Combine the butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt in a medium heatproof bowl and set the bowl over a pot of barely simmering water. Stir from time to time until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth and hot enough that you want to remove your finger fairly quickly after dipping it in to test. Remove the bowl from the heat and set aside briefly until the mixture is only warm, not hot. It looks fairly gritty at this point, but don’t fret —- it smooths out once the eggs and flour are added.
Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously after each one. When the batter looks thick, shiny, and well blended, add the flour and stir until you cannot see it any longer, then beat vigorously for 40 strokes with the wooden spoon or a rubber spatula. Stir in the nuts, if using. Spread evenly in the lined pan.
Bake until a toothpick plunged into the center emerges slightly moist with batter, 20 to 25 minutes, or possibly longer, depending on your oven. Let cool completely on a rack.
Lift up the ends of the parchment or foil liner, and transfer the brownies to a cutting board. Cut into 16 or 25 squares.
