Out-of-this-World Brownies with Walnuts

Does anyone else find it really difficult to take good pictures of brownies? Seriously, I’ve tried so many brownie recipes that haven’t made it to the blog because I can’t get a decent picture no matter how hard I try. Someday I hope to take a photography class and learn the ins and outs of great pictures (maybe when I can fit a dslr in the budget). For now, though, it’s just me and my point and shoot and a whole lot of trial and error.

I was bored the other day and emailed my mom to find out what I could bake her. She requested brownies so I pulled out some of the books I have on loan from the library and searched for a recipe that looked good. I haven’t made anything from Desserts by the Yard and I loved the simplicity of this recipe so it won. I added some walnuts to the brownies, which kept me from eating all of them (I don’t really eat nuts with the exception of almonds) before my mom could pick them up. They smelled amazing though and my mom tried one when she came and liked it. They’re fairly rich with all of that bittersweet chocolate and quite fudgy. I’ll have to try them again sometime without walnuts so I can compare them to Ina’s Outrageous Brownies, which are one of my favorites.

Out-of-this-World Brownies with Walnuts
adapted from Desserts by the Yard by Sherry Yard

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
7 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Preheat over to 350 F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil and spray the foil with cooking spray.

Melt the butter, unsweetened chocolate and bittersweet chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl for 2 minutes on 50% power. Stir with a rubber spatula until the mixture is smooth. (I didn’t chop my chocolate finely enough and had to microwave the mixture for another 30 seconds). Set the mixture aside to cool a bit.

Using a whisk, beat the eggs and sugar together until fluffy. Add the butter/chocolate mixture
and gently beat with the whisk. Fold in the flour and salt with a rubber spatula. Fold in the walnuts.

Pour the batter into the pan and level with a rubber or offset spatula. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the pan at the halfway point, until slightly firm to the touch and a crust has formed on top. (Note: a toothpick inserted into the brownies will not come out clean.)

Allow the brownies to cool to room temperature in the pan on a cooling rack. Cut into 2-inch squares.