| 1 | Pre-heat oven to 350 °F. |
| 2 | Melt about 2 oz of chocolate and the butter in a heavy saucepan, then let it cool. |
| 3 | Be careful not to let the chocolate burn. |
| 4 | beat the eggs in a large bowl until they are blended. |
| 5 | Add about 1 cup 200 g of sugar and mix well. |
| 6 | Stir in chocolate-and-butter mixture. |
| 7 | Mix until the chocolate is fully incorporated, with no streakiness. |
| 8 | Add the vanilla, flour, salt and nuts. |
| 9 | Stir just until the flour is incorporated; over-stirring will make a tough brownie. |
| 10 | spread the mixture in a greased pan, about 11 x 7 inches, that is about 1 ?inches deep. |
| 11 | Bake in pre-heated oven for 20 to 25 minutes. |
| 12 | Cool in the pan on a rack. |
| 13 | While it is cooling, follow these instructions to make the first frosting: |
| 14 | mix about 1 ?cups sugar, about 1/3 cup butter and about ?cup of half-and-half in a heavy, medium-size saucepan. |
| 15 | Bring to a boil, then cook over moderate heat without stirring until a small amount of the mixture forms a soft ball when dropped in ice water, or it reaches 236 °F. |
| 16 | On a candy thermometer. |
| 17 | remove from heat immediately and cool in a pan of ice-water until the candy is lukewarm. |
| 18 | Danger: melted sugar cools very slowly. |
| 19 | You can burn yourself badly by testing it with your finger. |
| 20 | add about 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to the candy. |
| 21 | Beat it until it is creamy and of a spreading consistency. |
| 22 | This is most easily done with an electric mixer, although you can use a heavy wire whip. |
| 23 | Spread the frosting over the brownies. |
| 24 | melt the remaining 3 oz chocolate and spread over the frosting just put on the brownies. |
| 25 | Cover as evenly as possible. |
| 26 | Cool for several hours in a refrigerator, then bring to room temperature and cut into pieces to serve. |
| 27 | be very careful when melting chocolate. |
| 28 | It burns easily. |
| 29 | A double boiler is probably the best way thing to use. |
| 30 | it is critical to cook the first frosting to just the right point. |
| 31 | If cooked too little, it will be too thin to beat to a creamy consistency. |
| 32 | If cooked too much, it will be too brittle. |
| 33 | So keep a close eye on it; sugar tends to cook slowly to the soft-ball stage, then it cooks quickly. |
| 34 | notes: |
| 35 | * very rich brownies with double frosting -- this recipe is for people who like intense chocolate flavor. |
| 36 | The result is a brownie with a fondant frosting, covered with unsweetened chocolate. |
| 37 | They are very rich, with an interesting combination of textures. |
| 38 | This recipe is not for beginners. |
| 39 | : difficulty: difficult. |
| 40 | : time: a few hours preparation, several hours chilling and then warming : precision: measure ingredients carefully. |
| 41 | : jeff lichtman : relational technology, inc., alameda, california, usa : amdahl,sun!rtech!jeff ucbvax,decvax!mtxinu!rtech!jeff |
| 42 | : |
