I really have no business walking into a bookstore--or really any brick and mortar store for that matter. I have a compulsion. If I could just stay away, actually sticking to my monthly budget would be soooo much easier. See when it comes to online shopping, the VAST majority of items I add to my shopping cart never actually get purchased. When it's just a pretty picture, I can usually remind myself that I don't actually need this. When it is actually in my hand in the store and there is the instant gratification of going home with it and using it right away, well then duh! I must have it.

Anyway, I made the mistake of actually venturing out of the kitchen and into multiple stores a couple weekends ago, and I have the credit card bill to go with said mistake. The upside is that I finally treated myself to David Lebovitz's latest cookbook, Ready for Dessert: My Best Recipes. And of course the first thing I tried were the brownies because they just looked so good...and they are! Just the perfect combination of crusty outside and ooey gooey rich chocolatey goodness with the delicious crunch of nuts... I can't wait until June is over so I can treat myself to these bad boys again.

According to Lebovitz, don't skimp on the "stir energetically for 1 full minute" step because this is where the magic happens! Hope you enjoy.

Robert's Absolute Best Brownie's
Ingredients
6 tablespoons (3 ounces) unsalted or salted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for the pan
8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, or pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Line the inside of a 9-inch square pan with 2 lengths of foil, positioning the sheets perpendicular to each other and allowing the excess to extend beyond the edges of the pan, or with a single large sheet of extra wide foil or parchment paper. Lightly butter the foil or parchment.
3. In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Add the chocolate and stir until it is melted and smooth. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the sugar and vanilla until combined. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time. Add the flour and stir energetically for 1 full minute—time yourself—until the batter loses its graininess, becomes smooth and glossy, and pulls away a bit from the sides of the saucepan. Stir in the chopped nuts.
4. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake until the center feels almost set, about 30 minutes. Do not overbake. Let the brownie cool completely in the pan—this is the difficult part—before lifting the foil or parchment and the block of brownie out of the pan. Cut the brownie into squares. (The brownies will keep well for up to 4 days and can be frozen for 1 month.)

~Happy Baking!~