• 9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 stick butter
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 6 ounces milk chocolate
• 1/4 cup pistachios, chopped

1. 1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat your oven to 350F.
2. Butter an 8 inch square pan, line bottom and sides with parchment paper and set aside.
3. 2. Melt butter and bittersweet chocolate in a bowl over simmering water and let cool to room temperature.
4. 3. Add sugar and whisk until combined.
5. 4. Add the eggs, one at a time, and whisk until combined. Add the vanilla extract.
6. Fold in flour and salt.
7. 5. Pour the mixture into the baking pan, smooth the top with a spatula and bake for 35-40 minutes.
8. Let cool to room temperature.
9. 6. Melt the milk chocolate in a bowl over simmering water.
10. Let cool for 5 minutes and pour over cooled brownie.
11. 7. Smooth the top with a spatula and sprinkle with pistachios.
12. 8. Place in the refrigerator and let the milk chocolate set.
13. Serve it cold.

Some like it fudgy, some like it cakey. Some add walnuts, some don’t. Some prefer thin slices, some like it thick. No matter which, I believe every baker has a favorite brownie recipe of his own. For instance, according to Dorie Greenspan (author of Baking From My Home to Yours), Julia Child prefers them dark, fudgy and soft, whereas Katharine Hepburn likes them thin and chocolaty, prepared without much flour. I like mine somewhere in between. Moist but definitely not gooey. And of course, intensely chocolaty. As far as nuts go, I prefer my brownie batter without them. I also like to add a generous amount of melted milk chocolate on top and sprinkle with pistachios. So there you go, this is brownies my way. If you ever get bored of your classic brownie recipe, give this one a try and let me know how you like it.