Chocolate is a girl's best friend!

I know this post comes at a bad time for people like my mom, who gave up chocolate for Lent, but I was absolutely craving some gooey, rich, warm chocolate last week, and I had to make some brownies! I wanted to try out a new recipe that I'd seen in a magazine, but decided to make some major changes to it. These brownies turned out with a nice, deep chocolate flavor, delightfully crispy edges, and a moist, dense, and chewy texture.

Chewy Chocolaty Brownies
Inspired by Palmer House Brownies from Bon Appetit magazine

9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and apply cooking spray to an 8x8-inch square baking pan. (As you can see in my pics, I made 2 smaller pans because I like the chewy edges so much!)

In a small heavy saucepan over low heat, melt the chocolate and butter. Remove from heat and cool to lukewarm.

Blend eggs, vanilla, and sugar with an electric mixer until light in color and fluffy - about 1 minute. Pour melted chocolate mixture into the egg mixture, and whisk together until incorporated. Add sifted flour and baking powder. Fold in gently with a rubber spatula. Spread evenly in the prepared pan. Sprinkle walnuts over the brownie batter, pressing gently into the chocolate.

Bake for 40 minutes, or until the edges are crispy and set. Serve warm or cool with a big scoop of ice cream.

(My smaller pans only took about 30 minutes.)