Outrageous Brownies for Jeff

These brownies are pretty well known to be slightly amazing.  Tomorrow my husband is going fishing in Louisiana with arguably his closest friend, Jeff.  Jeff is not shy about considering my worth in life to be directly proportional to how often I bake.  Sadly, my stock has been pretty low lately.  It was time to bake for him!!!  Jeff and my husband are very tight, and they text each other like middle school kids passing notes in class.  Not that I would know anything about that sort of behavior!  Besides, Jeff introduced us to Dave Ramsey, which is probably the best thing that anyone could do for a (then) young couple.  These brownies were inspired by the Soho Charcuterie's Soho globs, which also were adapted in the Big Jakes cookies.  Chilling the brownies transforms their flavor and texture into something positively decadent.   These are decidely in the fudgy brownie camp.  And don't fret- the espresso powder serves only as a chocolate enhancer, you won't notice it in the finished product.

Outrageous Brownies
mildly adapted from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

Ingredients:
1 pound unsalted butter
1 pound plus 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
6 extra-large eggs (or 6 large plus 1 tablespoon egg whites)
3 tablespoons instant coffee granules or 1 tbsp instant espresso powder)
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups sugar (18 ounces)
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (5 ounces plus 1 ounce)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups chopped walnuts (if desired- I didn't desire)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter and flour or line with parchment a 12 x 18 x 1-inch baking sheet (12 x 16 works fine too, but the rapping on countertop becomes important!)

Melt together the butter, 1 pound of chocolate chips, and the unsweetened chocolate in a medium bowl over simmering water. Allow to cool slightly. In a large bowl, stir (do not beat) together the eggs, coffee granules, vanilla, and sugar(18 ounces). Stir the warm chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and allow to cool to room temperature.

In a medium bowl, sift together 1 cup (5 ounces) of flour, the baking powder, and salt. Add to the cooled chocolate mixture. Toss the walnuts (if using) and 12 ounces of chocolate chips in a medium bowl with 1/4 cup (1 ounces) of flour, then add them to the chocolate batter. Pour into the baking sheet.

Bake for 20 minutes, then rap the baking sheet against the oven shelf or counter to force the air to escape from between the pan and the brownie dough. Bake for about 15 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Do not overbake! Allow to cool thoroughly, refrigerate, and cut into about 20 large squares.  Then, stash a couple away for you and the kids and send the rest of with your husband.....hoping TSA does not confiscate them!!