BEST-EVER BROWNIES FROM BAKING WITH JULIA CHILD

Steps:

• Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350°. I bake them at a lower oven temp of 330°.
• Sift the flour and salt together; set aside.
• Melt the butter and chocolate together in a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently and keeping a watchful eye on the pot to make certain the chocolate doesn't scorch (Alternatively, you can melt the ingredients in the top of a double boiler over, not touching, simmering water.) Add 1 cup of the sugar to the mixture and stir for half a minute, then remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
• Pour the mixture into a large bowl.
• Put the remaining 1 cup sugar and the eggs into a bowl and mix or whisk by hand just to combine.
• Little by little, pour half of the sugar and eggs into the chocolate mixture, stirring gently but constantly with a rubber spatula so that the eggs don't set from the heat.
• Fit the whisk attachment to the mixer and whip the remaining sugar and eggs until they are thick, pale, and doubled in volume, about 3 minutes.
• Using the rubber spatula, delicately fold the whipped eggs into the chocolate mixture.
• When the eggs are almost completely incorporated, gently fold in the dry ingredients.
• Pour and scrape the batter in to an unbuttered 9-inch square pan.
• Bake the brownies for 22-26 minutes, during which time they will rise a little and the top will turn dark and dry.
• Cut into the center at about the 22-minute mark to see how the brownies are progressing: they'll be perfect if they're just barely set and still pretty gooey.
• They're still awfully good on the other side of set, so don't worry if you miss the moment on your first try.
• Cool the brownies in the pan on a rack.