Killer Brownies

So I was on Facebook today and read that my friend Patti was going to make brownies today. Since I had just blogged about two fun brownie pans and hadn't included a recipe,  I thought I'd ask her what she was planning to use. Turns out it was one of my old stand-bys, Betty Crocker Brownies. Now, I know some of you out there are yelling,  "sacrilege" --first using a box mix and second the quality of the chocolate. But boy are they good, and especially if you have zero time. 

Well, Patti has another friend on Facebook who sent her a recipe for Chocolate Squash brownies. Again since my mind translated that to mean squashy squishy chewy brownies, I thought I should take a look. This recipe actually adds winter squash as an ingredient. Here's the link. I might try this some time.

Anyway, this all got me to thinking I should include my own Killer Brownie Recipe on this DyingforChocolate Blog, so here goes. 

1 lb plus 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips 

6 ounces unsweetened chocolate (lots of great choices out there)

6 extra large eggs

2 Tbsp pure vanilla extract

4 Tbsp strong brewed coffee

1-1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1 lb unsalted butter (European sweet butter is the best!)

3 tbsp instant coffee granules

1-1/2 cups sugar

1 Tbsp baking powder

3 cups chopped walnuts or chocolate nibs (optional)

Pre-heat oven to 350. Butter and flour a 12" x 18" x 1" baking pan or one of the interesting new pans.

Melt together butter, 1 lb of chocolate chips and unsweetened chocolate in medium bowl over simmering water. Allow to cool slightly. In a large bowl, stir (don't beat) together eggs, coffee, vanilla, coffee granules and sugar. Stir warm chocolate mixture and allow to cool to room temperature.

Mix together flour, baking powder and salt. Add to cooled chocolate mixture. Toss walnuts or nibs and 12 ounces of chocolate chips in medium bowl with 1/4 cup of flour, then add to chocolate batter. Pour into baking pan.

Bake 20 minutes, then rap baking pan against oven shelf to force air to escape between pan and brownie dough. Bake for 15 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.  Allow to cool, refrigerate and cut into squares.

Of course I never wait and the brownies sometimes crumble and are gooey, but who cares? I like them best right out of the oven!