Who are those angels, and why are they singing in my kitchen?

It has long been a source of great shame for me that the best brownies I've ever made came from a box. The box in question (Ghirardelli's triple chocolate brownie mix) is no sloucher, mind. But I'm a firm believer in the virtues (and superiority) of baking from scratch, and my inability to craft a brownie that measured up to Ghirardelli's has been a thorn in my side for years.

My quest to find that holy grail of brownie recipes has been complicated by the perpetual lack of consensus over what makes a perfect brownie. Some like them cakey, others like them fudgy, others like them chewy but not too dense, and so on. As a result, I've often gone ahead with a recipe that's guaranteed to be "the best brownies evah!" only to find them lackluster, or at least not at all what I was looking for.

So when Katie told me that her mom had recently discovered a recipe for "the best brownies she'd ever made," my reaction was mixed. On the one hand, my faith in Katie's mom is such that I trust anything she says about cooking. On the other hand, experience has led me to be skeptical when someone extols the virtues of their favorite brownie recipe.

Well, my faith remains intact, for this is indeed the best brownie recipe I've ever made--with or without a box mix. These brownies are dark and moist, with rich chocolate flavor and just the right amount of chew. I won't claim that these are the best brownies you've ever made--for all I know, you might like them cakey--but in my book, they win, so I would be remiss in not sharing the recipe with you. I highly recommend that you give them a try, and of course I also recommend that you have a glass of milk handy when they're done.

Fudge Brownies

Adapted from King Arthur Flour

Makes one 9x13" pan of brownies

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks, or 1/2 pound) unsalted butter
• 2 1/4 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups Dutch-process cocoa
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions

1. Place oven rack in middle position, and preheat the oven to 350F/175C.
2. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan.
3. In a small saucepan, or in a microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter. When the butter is melted, add the sugar and stir to combine. Heat the mixture until it is very warm (110-120F, or about 45C), but not bubbling. It should look shiny as you stir it.
4. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk the eggs until lightly beaten. Whisk in the cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, espresso powder, and vanilla. Stir until smooth. The mixture will be quite thick and stiff, so it might take some muscle to make it smooth.
5. Add the re-warmed butter-sugar mixture, and stir until smooth.
6. Add the flour and stir just until combined, then gently mix in the chocolate chips. The batter will be thick.
7. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. You might have to help it into the corners.
8. Bake the brownies for 25-30 minutes. They're done when a cake tester or sharp knife inserted into the center comes out with a few crumbs. The brownies will be set on the edges, and moist in the center (but not gooey). Cool completely, if you can manage it, before cutting and serving.

Notes

• The world won't come crashing down if you use regular (non-Dutch-process) cocoa powder.
• Add chopped nuts if you like.