Summertime Picnic Brownies

I have a vast collection of cookbooks.  Some are new and some I have collected from yard sales and random book sales.  I was looking through one random book on baking when a cutout of random paper fell into my lap.  That cutout was from a July issue of Coastal Living, and described this brownie recipe.  I was surprised as the recipe only had 7 ingredients.  I made it and wow, they are some amazing brownies.  They are dense but not too dense, chocolaty and absolutely delicious.

Picnic Brownies – (from Coastal Living, July 2005)

• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
• 5 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 325 degree Fahrenheit.  Line a 8-inch square pan with parchment or aluminum foil.  Then lightly grease.

Coarsely chop the unsweetened chocolate.

Melt the butter and chocolate in a saucepan over low heat.  Stir and melt until smooth.

Beat the eggs and sugar at medium speed with a stand mixer or a hand mixer.  Beat until the mixture is well blended.

Once the chocolate is melted, turn the mixer down to low and slowly drizzle the chocolate into the mixture.  Continue to blend until the chocolate is fully mixed in.

With the mixer still on low, gradually add the flour and vanilla until fully incorporated.

Turn off the mixer and stir in the walnuts by hand.

Pour the mixture into the lined and greased 8-inch square pan.

Bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 35 minutes.  Remove from the oven and cool the pan on a wire rack.

Cut into squares and serve.

These brownies are awesome!