Brownies

Tomorrow is the tech rehearsal for the New Works Festival. "Tech" refers to sound and lights. We don't run the entire play; we just go from one sound or light que to the next. So if, after setting up the lights at the top of a show, the lighting doesn't need to change until page five, then we skip ahead to page five.

Nevertheless, tech rehearsal has a well-deserved reputation for being long and boring. Often actors will spend long periods of time just standing on stage while the lighting designer, director, etc. make adjustments. We're scheduled to go from 5:00 Sunday evening to 11:00.

Since it will be a long day, the playwrighting instructor, CW, suggested we bring snacks to feed the actors, crew, etc. I'm going to make brownies. My recipe (stolen from the New York Times) is below. It's good with Ghirardelli chocolate; heavenly with Scharffen-Berger.

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Chewy Fudge Brownies

This is the classic fudgy brownie that pastry chefs, cookbook authors and home cooks have relied on for years. They're crusty on top with a dense, rich, gooey interior. The ingredient proportions were spelled out in The Fannie Farmer Baking Book by Marion Cunningham (Knopf, 1984), but the revised directions are adapted from Alice Medrich's Bittersweet (Artisan, November 2003). Makes 16 brownies.

4 ounces (4 squares) unsweetened chocolate
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cold large eggs
1/2 cup flour
2/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)


Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with foil or baking parchment, leaving some to overhang two opposite sides.

In a medium saucepan over low heat, heat the chocolate and butter, stirring frequently, until melted and smooth and hot enough that you want to remove your finger quickly after dipping it in to test. Remove from heat and stir in the sugar, salt and vanilla with a wooden spoon. Add the cold eggs, 1 at a time, stirring well to incorporate each. Stir in the flour and beat with a wooden spoon or spatula until the batter is smooth and glossy and beginning to come away from the sides of the pan, 1 to 2 minutes. If desired, stir in nuts. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.

Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the brownies just begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. The top will look dry, but a toothpick inserted in the center will come out wet with chocolate. Immediately place pan in refrigerator, or place in larger pan filled 3/4-inch deep with ice water. When completely chilled, lift up the ends of the foil or parchment liner and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into squares. Store in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days.

Per brownie: 173 calories, 2 gm protein, 20 gm carbohydrates, 11 gm fat, 43 mg cholesterol, 6 gm saturated fat, 46 mg sodium, 1 gm dietary fiber