Ultra-Fudge Brownies

What better way to celebrate moving into a new house than by baking brownies? This is my super-special, ultra-fudge brownie recipe. Everyone tells me that my recipes are awesome, but this is my favorite. It's the most chocolatiest, yummiest, nummiest brownie you'll ever eat, but it's so rich that you'll probably only eat one. I put most of the ingredients together in layered jars for Christmas gifts in 2011, and they went over really well. At the bottom of the post I'll explain how.

You'll Need:

• 1 cup butter, unsalted
• 9 ounces dark chocolate
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cup white (caster) sugar
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup cocoa powder

Preheat your oven to 350F. Grease a 9-inch by 13-inch pan. If you have a problem with baked goods sticking, dust the grease with a little bit of cocoa powder.

Whisk together the eggs, salt, both sugars, and vanilla. In a microwave safe bowl, melt chocolate and butter on medium power. Check every 30 seconds. Stir until smooth. Alternatively, you can use a bain-marie (double boiler), but this is faster. Once the chocolate is smooth, slowly add it to the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Be careful not to let the heat of the chocolate turn everything into scrambled eggs! Dust in the cocoa powder and continue stirring. Do the same with the flour until fully incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and beat against a solid surface to release air bubbles and settle brownie mix. Bake for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

To make this into a gift, first procure a 1-quart mason jar and a pretty square of fabric that is at least 2 inches longer in each direction than the diameter of your lid. Into the CLEAN jar, carefully spoon the flour. On top of that -- in order -- spoon: Cocoa powder, white sugar, and brown sugar. Pack everything down as needed between layers. Drizzle the vanilla on top of the brown sugar. If you have room (I didn't) put the chocolate on top of that and seal the jar with the fabric trapped between the lid and the rim. If you don't have room for the chocolate, wrap it tightly in saran wrap and then place it in a pretty mesh or organza bag that can hang from the neck of the jar. Include instructions that specify the need for eggs and butter.

DOWNLOAD THE RECIPE CARD!

DOWNLOAD THE GIFT CARD!

Print the recipe card on a 4" x 6" unlined index card. Print the gift card double-sided on a 3" x 5" unlined index card. Or use pretty cardstock of similar dimensions.