When you feel like you may break...bake!

What better way to unwind on a Friday night than by watching competitive cooking shows while simultaneously baking a fresh batch of chocolate and peanut butter brownies? I'm sure some people would rather black out than bake out, but maybe I'm just old fashioned like that. This week has been somewhat stressful (though I'm not quite sure how that is much different than any other week), so I'm savoring catching up with my KitchenAid.

I wanted to make something with a brownie base, so I looked in my treasured Joy of Cooking recipe book. There is a wonderful basic brownie recipe. Like my outfits, I prefer to accessorize my baked goods. Who wants a boring brownie? I had a bag of Reese's peanut butter chips (like chocolate chips but deliciously peanut-buttery instead) in my pantry. Last time I checked, chocolate + peanut butter > chocolate. Apologies for the inequality. I've been studying for the GMAT, so I'm dorking out to the extreme.

Ingredients:
1 stick unsalted butter
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
4 large eggs
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
Whatever you'd like to add (pecans, chocolate chips, coconut, peanut butter, etc.)

Preheat the oven to 350. Grease a baking pan (if you want chewy and moist brownies, use a 13x9-inch pan; if cakey, a 9x9-inch pan).

The cast of characters in my decadent storyline

 Melt the butter and unsweetened chocolate in a small saucepan

Like an awkward first date, the butter and chocolate experience
some difficulties in the beginning...

...but after some time (or in the case of the date, some drinks) the two
 ingredients decide to get along

Let this mixture cool. If you don't let it cool, your brownies will be heavy and dry (and very sad).
Next, beat the 4 eggs and salt until light in color and foamy in texture.

Whisks are for amateurs. Serious chefs use SERIOUS equipment.



Gradually add the sugar and vanilla and continue beating until thick. With a few swift strokes, stir in the cooled chocolate mixture just until combined. If you're using a snazzy KitchenAid like me, switch to a wooden spoon for this. Stir in the flour just until combined. Gently stir in any of your "accessories" (I stirred in half of the bag of pb chips and sprinkled the rest on top).

All dressed up for Friday night!

Scrape batter into the prepared pan. Bake about 25 minutes. The recipe says to cool completely in the pan on a rack, this is just plain nonsense. Who waits for any baked good to completely cool? Clearly, you are allowed to sample it once it has cooled enough so it doesn't scorch your mouth.

Pictures are worth a thousand words. Brownies, a thousand calories.

May your weekend be filled with brownies, or at least something of equivalent awesomeness.