Old School Brownies with Walnuts

I had a realization yesterday: Fat Tuesday is upon us.  What???  Already??  How can it already be Fat Tuesday??  Now, I'm not a big Mardi Gras person but I do like to have fun with Fat Tuesday and bringing all kinds of goodies into work.  It just makes the day extra fun, extra special, and gives everyone something to look forward to.  Gotta love Fat Tuesday

So now what do I do?  For some reason "DESSERT" kept popping into my head but I hadn't planned on making any crazy special desserts this week.  Brownies would be good but I didn't have any mixes at home.  ..........wait a minute.  What's in a mix?  Flour, leavening agent, salt, sugar, cocoa powder.  What have I got in the pantry at home because I just happen to love to bake oh-so-much?  Flour, various leavening agents, salt, sugar, cocoa powder.  YESSSS!!  It sounds crazy but I could totally make brownies from scratch!  Yes, I know.  I sound crazy.  I suppose I could have stopped by the store quick and grabbed a box of my trusty Betty Crocker but, come on, where's the fun in that?  And this is Fat Tuesday we're talking about here.  I wanted something special.  I dug through my recipes quick and came up with this little gem that I'd tucked away almost exactly a year ago.

The contents of my double boiler: butter, cocoa, coffee

Brace yourself.  These. Are. GOOD.  And the only way they are possibly good for you is that they make you happy.  Happy is good, right?  Be happy.  Make these.

Old School Fudge Brownies with Walnuts

Recipe from Joy the Baker

 

3/4 cup cocoa powder

3/4 cup butter

2 Tablespoons strong coffee or water

1 2/3 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 cup chocolate chips or coarsely chopped chocolate bar 

NOTE: When it comes to nuts or chocolate chips in my baked goods, I don't measure.  ;)

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9×13-inch baking pan. 

2.  Combine butter and cocoa powder in a small bowl, and place over a pot of simmering water. Make sure that the simmering water down not touch the bottom of the bowl (you only need an inch or so of water; just enough to boil and get some good steam going). Add the coffee or water and stir to melt the ingredients. 

This is what happens when butter, cocoa, and steam meet.  It's ok to drool.

3.  In a medium sized bowl whisk together the eggs and the sugar. Add the vanilla extract. When the butter and chocolate have melted and come together, slowly stir the chocolate mixture into the sugar mixture.

Sugar, meet eggs. Eggs, meet sugar.

4.  Add the flour, baking powder and salt. Stir to combine. Fold in the nuts, saving a small handful for the top of the brownies if you like. 

Brownies are better with nuts.  Yes, I'm in That Camp.

5.  Pour the batter in the pan, sprinkle with chocolate chips or chocolate chunks and remaining nuts. Bake for 18-25 minutes. 

There are no words for this one.  Just drool.

6.  Remove from pan and cut into bars.

These fulfilled every rich, decadent, sinful wish I was looking for in a Fat Tuesday recipe.  Would I make these every time I wanted brownies?  No.  But they are WORTH IT for that special occasion where you just want to step it up a notch.  Or two.  Mine came out extra fudgy-like so that they were pretty a cross between a brownie and a piece of fudge.  Totally amazing.