Decadent dessert recipe: homemade brownies

This recipe is studded with nuts, but you can substitute chocolate chips or just make a plain brownie. Store-bought ones are no match for warm brownies out of your oven, filling the air with the smell of chocolate and costing half as much.

Makes 24 6.5 centimetre (2 1/2 inch) square brownies

What you need:

• 5 30 g (1 oz) squares unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 350 g (1 1/2 c) all-purpose flour
• 5 ml (1 tsp) baking powder
• 2 ml (1/2 tsp) salt
• 175 g (3/4 c or 1 1/2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
• 350 g (1 1/2 c) sugar
• 4 eggs
• 10 ml (2 tsp) vanilla extract
• 500 g (2 c) coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans

What to do:

1. Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Line a 33 x 23 x 5-centimetre (13 x 9 x 2-inch) baking pan with foil. Lightly grease and flour the foil, and set aside the pan.

2. In a small, heavy saucepan over the lowest heat, melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the chocolate cool.

3. In a small bowl or on a sheet of wax paper, combine the flour, baking powder and salt.

4. In a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed, cream the butter or margarine for two minutes. Add the sugar and beat for two minutes longer. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and the cooled chocolate.

5. Using a wooden spoon, add the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture and stir until all the ingredients are well blended. Stir in the nuts. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake the brownies until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean, about 35 minutes.

6. Remove the baking pan to a wire rack and let the brownies cool before cutting.

Unsweetened chocolate: If a recipe calls for one 30 gram (one ounce) square unsweetened chocolate and you don't have any on hand, combine 45 millilitres (three tablespoons) unsweetened cocoa powder with 15 millilitres (one tablespoon) butter, margarine or vegetable shortening.

Semisweet chocolate: If 30 grams (one ounce) of semisweet chocolate is called for, combine 45 millilitres (three tablespoons) unsweetened cocoa powder with 15 millilitres (one tablespoon) butter, margarine or vegetable shortening and 15 millilitres (one tablespoon) sugar.

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