My Other Mother’s 6-Ingredient Brownies

One of my great joys being back in Maine is the chance to reconnect with my extended family, the residents of Circle Farm, affectionately known at The Hill People. I refer to our neighbor Marjie as my “other mother” because she fed, disciplined and nurtured me since I was born. Many of my early food memories are at Marjie’s house … eating matzo on the swing set in the back yard, pork chops for dinner (although my mom was vegetarian and Marjie is Jewish), Passover Seders, making fresh pasta on the counter top, Marjie’s son Josh feeding his little sister Johanna coffee and milk in her bottle, and of course dessert. Marjie is always prepared with something sweet and tasty, and most often some version of her fudgy chocolate brownies.

I got an impromptu lesson in brownie philosophy and execution on the 4th of July, after a conversation the day before about simplicity in cooking and knitting. Marjie has perfected her 6-ingredient brownies over the years and shared the secrets with me. I could not even begin to elaborate the depth and subtlety of the knowledge imparted to me, but it is sufficient to say that I have a renewed interest in the pursuit of The Perfect Brownie. Among the most critical tips I learned were the importance of cooling the chocolate & butter mixture to a thick and silky texture, and how to undercook the brownies just enough so that they end up perfectly fudgy and rich. The hardest part of all of it is waiting for them to completely cool before eating, but well worth the exercise in patience. They came out fantastic.

Marjie’s 6-Ingredient Brownies

4 oz baking chocolate
1 stick butter
1 ¼ c sugar
1 tsp vanilla or rum
¾ c flour
3 eggs
OPTIONAL: press dark chocolate chips and /or walnuts into the top of the batter before baking

Preheat oven to 325 and grease an 8” square metal baking pan. Partially melt chocolate in the micro wave, add butter and microwave until just barely melted with maybe a few lumps still left. Remove from microwave and stir until completely melted. Let this mixture cool until it thickens and the color darkens. Whirl the sugar and vanilla in a food processor. Add the cooled chocolate and mix briefly. Add the flour and mix briefly. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix for 5 seconds between them. The batter should not be over-beaten. Spread into the prepared pan and bake for about 23 to 25 minutes. The brownies should be set and have a smooth glossy appearance but not yet be pulling away from the sides of the pan. Don’t try the toothpick test in the center, they will still be gooey. Remove the brownies from the oven, they will continue to cook and you can watch the edges pull away from the pan and the top begin to split and crackle as they rest. Cool completely.