It was at a BBQ party at Hal and Steve's last year, that I first tried these brownies. Steve's sister Sue single-handedly whipped them up and we all just had to agree, "This is it, this is the ultimate brownie recipe!"
I also brought these brownies to a potluck-type/buffet-style dinner party last night. They - the brownies, not the dinner guests! - were gone before any of the other food, including the appetizers! :-) Everybody got hooked and more than once I was told, "This recipe just has to appear in your Cyber-Kitchen!"
Nothing's easier done than said! For 20 large squares you will need the following
Ingredients:
1 pound unsalted butter
1 pound plus 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
6 ounces bitter chocolate
6 large eggs
3 tablespoons instant coffee granules
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups chopped walnuts
Preparation (45 minutes plus 35 minutes baking time):
1. Butter and flour a 12 x 18 x 1-inch baking sheet.
2. Melt together the butter, 1 pound of chocolate chips, and the bitter chocolate in a medium bowl over simmering water. Allow to cool slightly.
3. In a large bowl, stir - do not beat! - together the eggs, coffee granules, vanilla, and sugar. Stir the warm chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and allow to cool to room temperature.
4. In a medium bowl, sift together 1 cup of flour, the baking powder, and salt. Add to the cooled chocolate mixture. Toss the walnuts and 12 ounces of chocolate chips in a medium bowl with 1/4 cup of flour (this will keep them from sinking to the bottom while in the oven), then add them to the chocolate batter. Pour into the baking sheet.
5. Bake for 20 minutes in an oven preheated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, then rap the baking sheet against the oven shelf to force the air to escape from between the pan and the brownie dough. Bake for about 15 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Do not overbake! Allow to cool and cut into 20 large squares.
Serve "a la mode" with a generous scoop of French vanilla ice-cream and hot chocolate fudge sauce ... enjoy!