Brainstorming & Brownies

I tried to go to sleep "on time" on Saturday night, since I was SO tired and hadn't gotten much sleep Friday night.  I went to bed a little after 10pm, but found myself wide awake, my brain running full steam ahead with thoughts and ideas.  So, rather than lying awake for hours on end, I got up, grabbed my best friend, and had a mid-night brainstorming session.

I managed to get a number of concrete ideas and plans together for my "new project", as well as a great planning session for school.  I'm so excited to see everything coming together so nicely for my "new project" - I can't wait for the great unveiling (hopefully in March, or April at the latest)!

In the meantime, I thought I'd leave you all with a YUMMY recipe I tried out (and modified) last night for "from scratch" brownies!  (The original recipe is from Perfect Cookies, Cakes and Chocolate.)

West Tenth Street Brownies

Ingredients needed:
16 tsp (2 sticks) butter - I used Imperial
3oz unsweetened chocolate
4 large eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract - I used REAL vanilla
2 cups sugar
1 cup flour
1 cup (6oz) chocolate chips
4 oz (1 cup) coarsely chopped pecan or walnut pieces - I didn't add nuts
8oz bar of cream cheese - this is not in the original recipe, but I love cream cheese in my brownies 

Directions (as modified by me):
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with rack in the middle.
2. Melt butter and chocolate in the microwave - whisk together. Original recipe called for melting the butter in saucepan on the stove, then removing from heat and adding the chocolate.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together (til just mixed) eggs, salt, and vanilla.
4. Whisk in sugar in a stream.
5. Whisk in chocolate/butter mixture.
6. Switch to a rubber spatula and fold in flour.
7. Once the batter has cooled to room temperature, fold in the chocolate chips (and nuts).
8. Pour batter into a foiled lined 9x13 pan (spray foil with non-stick spray).
9. Slice cream cheese into thin pieces and lay on top of batter in pan.  Use spatula to lightly blend.
10. Bake 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
11. Cool on a rack.
12. Pull the foil out of the pan and peel away from the cake. Cut brownies into 2" squares (yields 24).
The recipe called for cooling the cake completely, then wrapping the pan and refrigerating it for at least 4 hours before cutting the brownies.  It then suggested wrapping each brownie individually in cellophane if storing for more than a couple days. 

This is WAY better than my old "from scratch" brownie recipe!  This recipe makes super rich and super yummy brownies.