America's best brownie

 

Makes 2 dozen

• ½ cup butter or margarine
• 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 2/3 cup all purpose flour
• ½ cup chopped toasted pecans
• Fudge glaze (optional ; recipe follows)

1. Preheat oven to 350F (175C)
2. Grease and lightly flour bottom only of 8- or 9-inch square pan.
3. In large saucepan, melt butter and chocolate over low heat, stirring constantly.
4. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
5. Blend in sugar and vanilla, beat in eggs one at the time.
6. Stir in salt, baking soda, flour, pecans.
7. Spread in pan and bake 20-25 minutes until set in center (do not overbake).
8. If desired, spread brownies with chocolate glaze.
9. Cool completely, then cut into squares.

Chocolate glaze

• 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate
• 3 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 to 3 tablespoons warm milk

1. Melt chocolate and butter in small saucepan, blend in sugar and vanilla with wire whisk.
2. Add enough milk to make a smooth, spreadable glaze.

Variantions **************
Spicy black Pepper brownies
Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1 teaspoon cracked black Pepper to batter.


Chocolate chunky brownies
Add ½ cup raisins and 4 ounces chopped semisweet chocolate to batter.


Coffee-Toffee brownies
Substitute firmly packed Brown sugar for granulated sugar. Add 1 teaspoon instant coffee to batter. Sprinkle ½ cup crushed toffee candy over batter before baking.

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