Rick Katz’s Brownies for Julia

This recipe comes from Dorie Greenspan’s “Baking” cookbook. When Dorie was working with Julia Child, Boston-pastry chef, Rick Katz would make Julia and Dorie these dark, very fudgy brownies. Making these brownies are different from most recipes because of the way the batter is prepared. Half of the eggs and sugar are mixed in with the chocolate, while the other half are beaten until they double in volume and are as light as a sponge. This creates a creamy, soft, and definitely fudgy, gooey, brownie. If you want to try one when they first come out of the oven (like my husband does), they are like a mini molten-chocolate cake, very gooey, melty, and runny. After they cool, they will set up. Enjoy!

Melt the chocolate and butter over a saucepan with simmering water. Stir frequently until just melted.

Whisk eggs and sugar together. Add half of the egg mixture to the warm chocolate, and beat the remaining egg mixture over medium-high speed for 3 minutes.

Pour the remaining egg mixture into the chocolate and fold with a spatula. Fold in the flour-salt mixture and stir until just incorporated.

Pour batter into a a greased and floured 9 inch baking pan.

Bake for 25-28 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Cool on a wire rack to room temperature, then cut into 18 squares. Serve with vanilla ice cream, if desired.

Rick Katz’s Brownies for Julia
Ingredients
1 cup flour
1 tsp salt
2 sticks (8 oz) unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 cups sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put a 9-inch square baking pan on a baking sheet. Grease baking and lightly flour the baking pan.
2. Whisk the flour and salt together in a small bowl.
3. Set a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water, put the butter in the bowl and top with the chopped chocolate. Stir frequently until the ingredients are just melted-you don’t want to get them so hot that the butter separates.
4. Add 1 cup of the sugar and whisk gently just to incorporate it, then remove the bowl from the pan of water. Stir in the vanilla and transfer the warm chocolate to a large bowl.
5. Put the remaining 1 cup sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer or a medium bowl and, and using a whisk, stir in the eggs. Switch to a rubber spatula and, little by little, add half the sugar-egg mixture to the warm chocolate, stirring very gently but without stopping-you don’t want the heat of the chocolate to cook the eggs.
6. With the whisk attachment, beat the remaining sugar and eggs on medium-high speed for about 3 minutes, or until they double in volume.
7. Using the spatula and a light touch, fold the whipped eggs into the chocolate mixture, stopping just short of blending them in completely.
8. Sprinkle the dry ingredients over the batter and delicately fold them in, working only until they disappear. Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top with the spatula.
9. Bake for 25-28 minutes, or until the top looks dry. Poke a thin knife into the center and take a peek: the brownies should be only just set and still pretty gooey.
10. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool to room temperature. The brownies are fragile and best cut in the pan. Cut 18 bars.

Makes 18 brownies