My best brownies.

My mom noted the page for the brownies in the front of my cookbook

My mom gave me a copy of The Joy of Cooking after I graduated from college and moved into my first apartment. I have used it frequently as a reference over the years, and I love its recipe for Brownies Cockaigne. Not only are these brownies deliciously moist and chewy, they are easy to prepare and made from ingredients that I usually have on hand.



Brownie Cockaigne
from The Joy of Cooking

½ c butter
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate (I happened to have some really good chocolate left over from my Valentine luncheon dessert. It was fabulous in these brownies, but I have also used regular Baker's unsweetened chocolate for many years with great success)
4 eggs, at room temperature
¼ t salt
2 c sugar
1 t vanilla
1 c sifted all-purpose flour
1 c pecans, chopped (The Joy of Cooking specifies pecan meats - I'm assuming everyone knows I'm not talking about pecan shells!)

Melt butter and chocolate in a double boiler (I always do this in the microwave - start at full power for a minute, stir, then cook 30 seconds longer). Let this mixture cool completely or your brownies will be heavy and dry (I don't actually know this for a fact because the warning has always scared me into letting the mixture cool).

In a mixer cream together eggs and salt "until light in color and foamy in texture." Add sugar and vanilla gradually and mix until well blended. With a few swift strokes combine the cooled chocolate mixture and the eggs and sugar (the cookbook insists that this part be done by hand, which I do, but it takes me a couple more than a few swift strokes). Stir in flour just until blended then add nuts.

Pour into a greased and floured 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes (I removed this batch a little too early as I was in a hurry; they're not usually quite this gooey).


I took these brownies and almond tart to a gathering of Hockey Boys friend's and their parents Saturday night. I omitted the pecans from half the brownies as Hockey Boy prefers his without. The almond tart was a huge hit with the adults