Super Fudgy Brownies

I wanted to bake something very chocolate-y for my dad, for both his birthday and Father's Day. I found the perfect recipe in these brownies. They were incredibly rich, and completely worth the extra steps it took to make them. Normally I use Baker's Chocolate when I need unsweetened chocolate for a recipe, but the store was out! I used Ghirardelli, and it was delicious. I also didn't feel like dirtying my mixer, so I hand-beat the egg/sugar mixture. Lastly, I took them out of the oven at 35 minutes on the dot, and felt that they probably could have stayed in an extra few minutes, since they were just a little underdone. My dad didn't complain at all - he loved how fudgy they were. He loves cold brownies, so that helped firm up the insides.

Recipe: Super Fudgy Brownies
From: Handle the Heat
Yield: 16 brownies

Ingredients:
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into pieces
4 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs plus 1 yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray, OR line with parchment paper.

In a double boiler (metal bowl set above a pot of simmering water - do not let the bowl touch the water), melt the chocolates and butter. Set aside and let cool slightly.

In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the eggs and sugar on medium-high speed until thick and pale in color, about 3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla extract. Stir in the cooled chocolate mixture with a rubber spatula (make sure the chocolate is not too hot - you don't want to scramble your eggs!) Gently fold in the flour and salt until combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, giving the pan a tap on a counter to release any air. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the top is set and a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs attached. Let cool to room temperature before cutting (they cut better when cold). Serve chilled or at room temperature (or heat up and serve over ice cream)

I may have eaten a few before I took these pictures...