brownies

Ah, the all too familiar PQ bakery set-up. Just gave notice at Le Pain Quotidien, thought I'd share the brownie recipe as a momento. So if you were thinking about buying a four dollar brownie sometime... why not just make them? If nothing else, this is kind of a fun, wonky brownie recipe. Oh, the butter and eggs! Bye, food service! It's been real.

9 ounces bittersweet chocolate (60 - 64%)
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
5 eggs, mix em up with a fork
1 1/3 cups sugar, superfine if you feel like it
3 tablespoons flour, sifted. add a pinch of cornstarch to make "pastry flour" if you feel like it.

1. Roughly chop the chocolate into pieces. Add the butter. Melt these over a double boiler or in the microwave. Mix it up! Now scrape this delicious mess into a big mixing bowl.

2. Oven 325 degrees. Add the flour and sugar to your chocolatey bowl. Try a spoonful for sustenance. Yum. Now add the eggs and mix well. What? A recipe that practically begs you to watch TV? Yes. Cover and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Wipe away those tears (oh, Wifeswap!) and get a load of your thickened batter.

3. Two ways to skin this cat: mini-brownies or just in a normal square pan. For the little guys, line a muffin tin with cupcake papers. Spoon one-fourth cup batter into each paper-lined cup. Otherwise just pour the batter into a greased brownie pan. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. The brownies will still be moist when done; they will puff up and fall slightly as they cool.