Memorable Quotes:

“A Bearnaise sauce is simply an egg yolk, a shallot, a little tarragon vinegar and butter, but it takes years of practice for the result to be perfect.” — Fernand Point

Meagan's Brownie Recipe (From Chelsea)

A simple, classic chocolate brownie recipe with a rich, fudgy texture and optional chopped nuts. These are especially easy to make because everything comes together in one bowl after melting the butter and chocolate.

Meagan’s Brownies

Servings: About 9–12 brownies
Prep Time: About 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20–30 minutes

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup (1 stick) butter
  • 2 ounces semisweet chocolate
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup chopped nuts, optional

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.
  2. Melt the butter and semisweet chocolate together, stirring until smooth.
  3. Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar and vanilla.
  4. Allow the chocolate mixture to cool until it is no longer hot enough to cook the eggs.
  5. Add the eggs and mix until thoroughly incorporated.
  6. Stir in the flour just until combined.
  7. Fold in the chopped nuts, if using.
  8. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared 8-inch square pan.
  9. Bake for 20–30 minutes, beginning to check for doneness at 20 minutes.
  10. Insert a toothpick into the center. If the batter is still wet, continue baking in 2-minute increments, checking after each interval.
  11. Cool in the pan before cutting into squares.

Tip: Avoid adding the eggs while the melted butter and chocolate are still hot. Stirring in the sugar and vanilla first helps cool the mixture. Also, because 20–30 minutes is a wide baking window, record the baking time that works best in your oven for future batches.

Source: Family Recipe — Chelsea’s Brownies