Unbelievably it’s been a year since I’ve written up a recipe. That’s sad. Ah well- here is a tried and true favorite for my comeback.

Alice Medrich is brilliant and everyone should buy Bittersweet. Her recipe is super forgiving and I’ve made it easier (microwave rather than double boiler) and I’ve replaced APF with whole wheat pastry flour (nuttier and yummier and I’ve forgotten which blog recommended that substitution)With all due respect to the master, I like my recipe more.

Firstly- oven on at 325F

Second – chop 2/3 cup of walnuts to bits (as small as you’d like) and microwave them in 30 sec installments till you start smelling the oils. If you can smell them, they are toasted just enough. Let them cool

Third- melt 10 tbsp of butter in the microwave. Cover the bowl, the butter will sputter.

Add 3/4 cup and 2 tbsp of good dark cocoa (all kinds work but the more expensive ones will lead to a better brownie) and 1 1/4 cup of sugar and 1/2 tsp each of vanilla and salt. Mix well with a whisk. The original recipe calls for melting the butter in a double boiler and cooling the mixture but in my recipe we are now ready for the eggs. Add 2 large eggs and whisk them in – the grainy mixture should be nice and smooth now

Next add 1/2 cup of whole wheat pastry flour (the original calls for 1/2 cup of all purpose flour) and beat it in with a silicone spatula till no white remains. Alice recommends doing this 40 times. Add the walnuts and stir to mix. You’d remembered to prep an 8 inch pan right? Pour mixture into said pan.

Bake for 30 min and make sure the top has set. The whole wheat flour adds an extra 5 min to the bake. Bake an additional 5 min if you’d like your brownie firmer. We like ours fudgy.

Cut into tiny bites or larger pieces. These spread happiness wherever they go.