My ultimate chocolate brownie recipe, because chocolate makes everything better

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It's been a tough week at work. I'm not going into details; let's just say we got some bad news that made everyone in our division pretty glum.

So I did the only thing I could to spread a little sunshine. I baked brownies. Lots and lots of brownies. I quadrupled my basic recipe and baked them in a half-sheet pan. I took the pan to work and put it in the kitchen. Next to the pan I taped a note: "Chocolate is good for morale."

Did the brownies help? Probably not much. But it's chocolate. It sure can't hurt.

P.S. I first wrote about these brownies almost two years ago - click here for the back story on the brownie recipe.

P.P.S. Sorry there's no photo of the actual brownies. I got back to the kitchen a little too late.


Best chocolate brownies

• 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate (I prefer Valrhona)
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/8 cup cocoa powder, the darker the better
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp almond extract (optional)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Melt together the chocolate and butter over low heat. Let cool a few minutes. Stir in the sugar, then the eggs, beating well. Add the salt, flour, cocoa powder and extract(s). Pour into a greased 8x8 baking pan and bake 35 minutes, or until the brownies are set and the middle has cracked a little (that's how you know they're done, and not liquid, in the center). Let cool, cut, and dig in.

Note: If you're multiplying the recipe and baking the brownies in a sheet pan instead, cut the baking time way down - thinner brownies bake faster. Check them after 20 minutes, and definitely don't keep them in longer than 25.