It seems odd to me that in the same week - in fact the very next day - my kids are collecting bags of treats which include at least a ton of chocolate that I'm making brownies.  And what's with the brownies?  Why my obsession?  Haven't I given you enough brownie recipes?  I don't even understand it myself.  Truly.  Here's the real kicker, I've still got more brownie recipes that I want to try out.  Damn.  Even as I'm writing it sounds like sheer lunacy.
All I can offer as explanation is that sometimes the search for the gooiest, chocolatiest, moistest brownie never ends AND other times only a brownie will satisfy the craving.  In all honesty, when it comes to satisfying cravings this brownie was pretty exceptional.


I went through this thing in the spring and summer where I was baking with fruit.  It's so wonderful.  Fresh fruit.  It starts with Rhubarb and just goes on from there.  Yeah.  I know that I could be baking with pears (already done that) and apples (yeah... that too) and pumpkin (I gotta get on that one) but if I'm completely honest chocolate is what I'm craving at the moment.  The pears and the apples will still be one the menu don't worry.  I'll be making some apple cake or other just now.  In the right here and the right now... it's all chocolate all the time.
Maybe it's a lament.  Like when you were dumped by your first boyfriend... remember that?  What did you want to do.  Go out and eat... a whole crap load of chocolate and/or chocolate ice cream.  My flavour of choice was Haagen dazs peanut butter ice cream with chocolate and other crap in it.  They don't even make it anymore.  Probably 'cause I was the only one who bought it and I never had enough boyfriends to keep the flavour in production.  I never had a favourite chocolate bar.  It always changed.  I could never decide.  Is it Twix?  Is it Reese?  Is it Snickers?  Anyway, I'm figuring that my chocolate craving is my way of throwing a pity party for myself now that summer has gone and dumped me.  Just like a two month boyfriend that runs off and disappears.  Never calls again.  No explantation even.  I'm sore about it and I'm not gonna let it go for a while.  I can feel it.  Not even Christmas is gonna make up for it.
The day after hallowe'en I was probably the only person in Toronto firing up the oven to bake.  I had this recipe earmarked and I needed brownies in my life.  Sometimes nature calls and no matter what you've gotta just go with it.  This recipe caught my eye because it is supposed to be under baked and then cooled in an ice bath.  Normally ice baths are torturous but in this case they're heavenly.


Steve's Ritual Brownies adapted slightly from Alice Medrich 'Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy'
makes 1 8inch square pan

8 tbsp (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
4 oz unsweetened chocolate
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla
good pinch of salt
2 lg eggs
1/2 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1 tsp instant espresso powder

Line an 8 inch square baking pan with foil.  Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Combine the butter and chocolate together in a heat proof bowl over a barely simmering pot of water.  Stir until the mixture is melted and smooth.
Remove the bowl from the heat and the pot.
Add in the sugar, vanilla, salt and espresso powder.  Mix.
Add in 1 egg and mix.
Add in the next egg and mix.
Add in the flour.  Mix vigorously by hand for about a minute.  The batter should pull away from the bowl.
Pour the batter into the foil lined baking pan.
Bake for 18 - 20 minutes.  The brownies should just barely pull away from the sides of the pan.
Remove from the heat and place in an ice bath 3/4 of an inch deep.
Cool completely in the ice bath.
Remove from the pan and slice up.  Store in an airtight container - they won't last long but will keep well for about 3 days if necessary.