By The thaw arrived in earnest. Two inches a day under the warmer sun, the lawn at the south side bare by Friday, mud season visibly committing. The first sap-related blog post of the year went up Tuesday, with the photographs David had taken when he was up to bottle. Comments came in by the dozens, including from readers who remembered their grandfathers tapping or who had a few backyard taps themselves.
March 15 fell on Sunday this year. The envelope went to the post office Saturday morning to be sure. Thirty-six years now. The transaction does not require commentary.
Made a chicken and rice Saturday with the last of the sour cream from the Co-op and the leftover chicken from earlier in the week — a kind of casserole that Helen used to make when leftovers were headed nowhere else, the rice baked in chicken stock with the chicken pieces and onion and a little curry powder, finished with a topping of sour cream and grated cheese. The dish is not refined. It does what a Tuesday casserole is supposed to do, which is to use what is in the refrigerator and produce a satisfying supper without much fuss.
Owen came over Saturday with a small bag of his geological survey samples and an updated map of the area. He has been working on this project for months and is now genuinely the local expert on the immediate stratigraphy. I admired his work. He left at four with two cookies and the satisfaction of having been listened to.
Owen left with two cookies, as the story goes, but the brownies on the counter were what I’d actually made that morning — a simple dark chocolate batch, nothing elaborate, the kind of thing that comes together while the casserole is in the oven and fills the kitchen with a smell that makes a gray March afternoon feel less provisional. There is something right about having something sweet and homemade available when a neighbor comes through the door with good work to show you. This is the recipe I use when I want something reliable and deeply chocolatey without much ceremony.
Dark Chocolate Brownies
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 30 min | Total Time: 45 min | Servings: 16
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 4 oz dark chocolate (70% cacao or higher), chopped
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat and prep. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8x8-inch baking pan and line with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides for easy removal.
- Melt butter and chocolate. In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt the butter and chopped dark chocolate together, stirring frequently until smooth. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
- Add sugar and eggs. Stir the sugar into the chocolate mixture until combined. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Add dry ingredients. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder directly into the saucepan. Fold gently with a spatula until just combined — do not overmix. Fold in chocolate chips if using.
- Bake. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 28—32 minutes, until the top is set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs (not wet batter).
- Cool and cut. Allow brownies to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before lifting out using the parchment overhang. Cut into 16 squares.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 185 | Protein: 2g | Fat: 10g | Carbs: 24g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 85mg