Best-Ever Brownies

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1 cup/8 ounces/226g) unsalted butter
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs


Instructions:
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 C).

Sift the flour and salt together and set aside.

Melt the butter and chocolate together in a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently and keeping a watchful eye on the pot to make certain the chocolate doesn't scorch. (Alternatively, you can melt the ingredients in the dop of a double boiler over, not touching, simmering water.) Add 1 cup of the sugar to the mixture and stir for half a minute, then remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Pour the mixture in a large bowl.

Put the remaining 1 cup sugar and eggs into the bowl of a mixer (or a mixing bowl if you're using a hand-held mixer) and whisk by hand just to combine. Little by little, pour half of the sugar and eggs into the chocolate mixture, stirring gently but constantly with a rubber spatula so the eggs don't set from the heat. Fit the whisk attachment to the mixer and whip the remaining sugar and eggs until they are thick, pale, and doubled in volume, about 3 minutes. Using the rubber spatula, delicately fold the whipped eggs into the chocolate mixture. When the eggs are almost completely incorporated, gently fold in dry ingredients.

Cooking Instructions
Pour and scrape the batter into an unbuttered 9-inch square pan. Bake the brownies for 25 to 28 minutes, during which time they will rise a little and the top will turn dark and dry. Cut into the center at about the 23-minute mark to see how the brownies are progressing They'll be perfect if they're just barely set and still pretty gooey. They're still awfully good on the other side of set, so don't worry if you miss the moment on your first try. Cool the brownies in the pan on a rack. Cut into 1 1/2 by 3-inch bars to serve.

The brownies will keep, covered, for 2 to 3 days at room temperature and can be frozen for up to a month. Thaw, still wrapped, at room temperature. These never freeze solid, so you might want to think about using them as a mix-in for ice cream.

Makes 18 brownies.