Dark Chocolate Brownies

I will let myself eat these... oh, maybe twice a year. And, since I made two batches of these heavenly brownies in one week, I'm done for 2009 and a good portion of 2010.

Dark Chocolate Brownies
from Craving Chronicles

½ c unsalted butter
1 c sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cups 100% dark cocoa
½ t salt
½ t baking powder
½ T vanilla extract
¾ c all-purpose flour
1 c dark chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 8″ x 8″ pan.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat and add the sugar, stirring to combine. Return the butter mixture to the heat briefly, just until it’s hot, but not bubbling.

In a smaller bowl, crack 2 eggs and beat them with the cocoa, salt, baking powder, and vanilla until smooth.

Stir the hot butter mixture into the egg mixture until smooth.

Stir in the flour until just combined. Let the batter cool in the bowl for about 20 minutes before stirring in the chips. Allowing the batter to cool keeps the chips intact instead of melting into the batter.

Pour the batter into a lightly greased 8″ x 8″ pan and bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean, with some moist crumbs but no loose batter. Cool on a rack before serving.

I served mine with a melon-baller scoop of coconut frozen custard.

These are the best brownies I have ever eaten. The are extremely satisfying. I cut them into small squares and I could easily stop eating after only one brownie. I didn't... But I could.