outrageous brownies

this brownie right here is the outrageous brownie, a dignified member of the brownie hall of fame. it comes from ina garten’s first cookbook, and it has been winning the hearts of brownie lovers and chocolate enthusiasts for years. these babies are dense, fudgy, and beyond chocolatey. they’re positively scrumptious out of the freezer, at room temperature, or served warm with salted caramel sauce. make these for someone you love, top them with trader joe’s sea salt caramel sauce, and take a mental image of that moment because it will change your brownie-loving life forever! i am thrilled to say that i have found my new favorite brownie recipe. within the past week, i’ve baked five pans of these brownies for several different occasions. i originally made three pans to bring to a thanksgiving meal that was put together for members of the rockaway community who were affected by hurricane sandy. it was so heartwarming to see how many people volunteered their time on thanksgiving day to come together and bring hurricane sandy victims some sense of holiday relief. it inspired me to make a conscious effort to increasingly volunteer my time and efforts to support our global community. i made an additional pan of brownies to bring to my family for thanksgiving dinner. and if you thought by that point i was done making brownies, think again – i made a pan of these on my last night of thanksgiving vacation to bring back with me to school. after a full day of classes, nothing beats coming home to a brownie made with love and topped with caramel sauce. and have i ever mentioned i’m somewhat of a magician? believe it or not, i know how to make brownies disappear into thin air! but don’t ask how… a magician never reveals her secrets.

outrageous brownies

adapted from “the barefoot contessa cookbook”
yields 12-20 large brownies, or 40 smaller brownies

• 1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter
• 1 pound plus 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
• 6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
• 6 extra-large eggs
• 3 tablespoons instant coffee granules (I omitted this, as I felt the coffee flavor was too strong)
• 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 (I also omitted these)

preheat the oven to 350°F. line a 12 x 18 half sheet pan with parchment paper.
melt the butter, 1 pound of chocolate chips, and the unsweetened chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Once melted, allow to cool slightly.
in a large bowl, stir (do not beat) the eggs, vanilla, and sugar. Stir the warm chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and allow to cool to room temperature.
in a small bowl, sift together 1 cup of flour, the baking powder, and salt. add to the cooled chocolate mixture. use the leftover 1/4 cup of flour to coat the remaining chocolate chips, then add the chocolate chips to the chocolate batter. pour onto the prepared baking sheet.
bake for 20 minutes, then rap the baking sheet against the oven shelf to release any air bubbles in the batter. bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached. do not overbake! allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate. cut into however many squares you desire. these brownies freeze incredibly well, so feel free to store any leftovers for later!