A great big non-Brownie smile

Ingredients... Assemble!

I have an addiction to recipe-clipping.  I've mentioned it before; in addition to a shelf or two of cookbooks and a healthy pile of cooking magazines, I've also got a project case or two full of clipped, laser-printed and scribbled recipes going back to when I was in college (and for those of you who have to ask... that was a long long long time ago). Some of these gems are older than Shia LeBeouf. He's got a successful acting career and some of these recipes have never seen the inside of my kitchen. Hardly seems fair, really, but I digress.

A year or two back, my sister subscribed me to CHOW magazine, which sadly went defunct. They in turn gave over my subscription to a weird little publication called Intermezzo Magazine, which is sort of like Travel + Leisure meets Sauver meets the L.L. Bean catalogue. Like I said, weird.

I did, however, stumble upon this absolute gem of a recipe which they call "Brownies."  A more misleading name I have never seen.  I first noticed the recipe because it has so few ingredients (I like that), and because it uses rosé (I love that).  It also calls for nuts (I can't go for that), but I leave them out.

Part of my problem with calling these 'brownies' is that they've never turned out "rich and chewy" like the recipe said they should.  Maybe that's because I don't really have the 10x10 pan they call for. I've made in in a 7x7 pan, a 9" round, and even in large muffin tins.  They puff up alot, and be prepared for a certain amount of "collapse" since if you bake them until they stay aloft, I think it'd be as dry as Britney Spears after a few decades in rehab (she means it this time, you guys).

This is essentially flourless chocolate cake, and seeing as how C'pher and I have more and more friends who can't eat wheat gluten, this is a nice go-to dessert when you want something baked for dessert that won't inadvertantly poison your loved one.  Because it's got so many eggs, it has the consistency of a rather dense, dry mousse, which just begs to be served with some ice cream or freshly whipped cream.  When I made them in large muffin tins, our clever dinner guest filled the depression in the top of the individual cakes with creamy peanut butter that were amazing with chocolate ice cream on the side.  Mmmm...Reese's-y!

Since there are so few ingredients, be sure to use good ones -- especially the chocolate -- which means no Nestlé morsels, people (too waxy)!  Use dark chocolate, 50% or more cacao.  Thanks to the New York Times, we know you don't need to crack open the Domaine Tempier vin de Bandol, but use a rosé that you'd like.  I don't think I'd use White Zinfandel, but honestly, I doubt anyone would notice.

Now get out there and eat some chocolate!  It's Friday!

NOT BROWNIES
(I've added some notes and slight procedural changes in italics.  It's pretty clear that this recipe was sort of an afterthought in the magazine, but it turns out pretty well, if not how it was likely intended.)

1 stick plus 6 Tbsp. butter (I'd use salted since there isn't any in the rest of the recipe)
1 cup sugar
8 oz. dark chocolate, melted and cooled
6 eggs
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1/3 cup sweet red ice wine, or rosé wine
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 375° F.

In a bowl of a standing mixer, combine butter and sugar. Mix on medium speed until smooth.

Add eggs (one at a time), then melted chocolate, cocoa powder, wine, and nuts; mix well.

Pour in a (non-stick or butter and cocoa-powdered or buttered parchment paper lined) 10 x 10-inch pan and bake 6 minutes or until set.  Cool completely, cut into squares and serve.

Makes 8-10 servings.