I have been struggling with this blog post for the past two weeks. At one point, it evolved into a manifesto about self-confidence that referenced bad haircuts, my upcoming ten-year high school reunion, and my ex-boyfriend (this illustrates why insomnia-fueled 3 a.m. blogging is usually a bad idea). However, despite my tortured literary efforts, this recipe doesn't require an elaborate introduction. It's a glorified brownie baked in a pie dish, the sort of straightforward dessert that shows up in a ponytail and yoga pants, rolls up its sleeves, and gets the job done.
If you want, you can dress up your slice with an artful swirl of whipped cream. But you don't need to. If my compulsive rewriting of this blog post has taught me anything, it's that sometimes simplicity is exactly what's called for.
Adapted from Heirloom Baking with the Brass Sisters, by Marilynn and Sheila Brass
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), melted
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
Grease a 9-inch glass pie plate.
Mix melted butter and sugar in a medium bowl until smooth. Add eggs and mix until well combined. Stir in the vanilla and melted chocolate and mix until well combined. Finally, stir in the all-purpose flour and salt and mix until a smooth batter forms. Pour batter into prepared pie plate and smooth to an even thickness.
Bake until a tooth pick or cake tester inserted into the center of pie comes out clean, about 25 minutes.
Place pie on a wire rack to cool (center of the pie may sink slightly as it cools). Cover and store in refrigerator.
Serve topped with whipped cream, if desired.
