Dark chocolate brownies

It’s pretty clear that I love chocolate – for example, a typical day at the office starts with a few squares of my favorite 65% Michel Cluizel single-origin chocolate.

Given this, perhaps it’s odd that I don’t make many chocolate-based treats.  Only rarely do I bake a chocolate cake, cookies, or brownies.  Maybe because I already eat quite enough unadulterated chocolate, when I decide to bake something, I don’t feel the need to make it chocolate.

But these brownies are worth the effort – they’re rich and fudgy, studded with chunks of dark chocolate.  You could mix in some walnut pieces if that sounds appealing, though I prefer to pave whole walnuts over the top, where they get a bit toasty in the oven and lend a nice counterpoint to the chocolate.

Unsweetened chocolate – nearly a whole bar melted into the batter – provides a deep chocolate flavor.  The chocolate chunks, meanwhile, can be as dark as you’d like (or even try milk chocolate); don’t use anything too expensive since it won’t be the starring player here.  I used 70% Ghiradelli.

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Dark chocolate brownies

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into pieces
6 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt
3 eggs
3/4 cup flour
3 oz bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
Walnuts (optional)

Line a 9-inch square baking dish with foil, ensuring the sides are covered.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat butter and unsweetened chocolate in a large bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, until melted and smooth.  Remove bowl and cool until the melted chocolate mixture is about room temperature.

Whisk in sugar, vanilla, and salt.  Whisk in eggs, one at a time.

Stir in flour until just combined, then stir in chopped chocolate pieces.  Pour batter into baking dish.  Top with walnuts.

Bake 30 minutes.  Remove brownies (in foil sling) from the dish, and cool on a rack.