Fantastic Brownies!

Expect to have hope rekindled.

Expect your prayers to be answered in wondrous ways.

The dry seasons in life do not last.

The spring rains will come again.

 ~Sarah Ban Breathnach

 I don't know why everyone thinks these brownies are so fantastic. Everyone has favorite brownie recipes, but for some reason this one seems to always get swooned over! The recipe came from  Maida Heatters book called American desserts.....It's called Cristina's brownies in the book. She mentioned that the key is baking them in a 9"x13" pan so they are really, really thick. I agree!

Most Requested Brownies


3 sticks unsalted butter
1 1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 2/3 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tsp vanilla
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
7 large eggs
1 1/4 cups flour
2-3 cups choc chips
2 cups chopped pecans
1 cup chocolate chips

Melt your butter in a big bowl in the micro. I do it for about 1-2 minutes stirring occasionally till melted..I cut it up into little pieces so it melts evenly.Now, stir in your cocoa,salt and vanilla. stir in the sugar and using a whisk gently beat in the eggs 2 at a time. Now, stir in the flour. I use a hand mixer to blend together only for about a minute...if you mix too much, the brownies will have air pockets. Then I stir in the chips and pecans...... that's it. Done! I pour them into a 9x13 pan that I've lined with foil that I have sprayed with Pam. I bake them at 325 for about 50 minutes, more if needed. The key is to NOT over  bake. The center should be risen but NOT totally puffed up. 

One thing to note is that these brownies don’t have a glossy top like many brownies do.
 I compensated for this with a light dusting of powdered sugar.


Greenwich Village Brownies

2 cups unsifted all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 ounces unsweetened chocolate 

1/2 pound butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed

2/3 cup light corn syrup

6 eggs

3 cups (10 ounces) pecan halves or large pieces

Adjust a rack one-third up from the bottom of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Grease a 15-1/2 inch x 10-1/2 inch jelly roll pan. Line it with a large piece of wax paper, butter the paper, and dust it lightly all over with flour. Invert the pan to shake out excess flour. Measure the flour before sifting, then sift it together with the salt and set aside. Melt the chocolate in the top of a small double boiler over hot water on moderate heat. Stir until smooth, remove the top of the double boiler, and set aside.

In the large bowl of an electric mixer cream the butter. Add the vanilla and the granulated and brown sugars. Beat to mix well. Add the corn syrup and beat until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until smooth after each addition. Beat in the melted chocolate. On low speed, gradually add the flour, scraping the bowl as necessary with a rubber spatula and beating until smoothly mixed. Stir in 2 cups of the nuts reserving one cup for the top.


Turn the mixture into the prepared pan and spread to make a smooth layer. (The pan will be filled to the top.) Sprinkle the top with the remaining nuts. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean but not dry. Cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Then cover with a large rack or cookie sheet and invert. Remove the pan and the wax paper. Cover with a large rack and invert again, leaving the cake right side up to cool completely.