12 Days of Christmas Cookies Day 10: World's Best Brownies

     I have a confession to make.  My Mom had the secret to the world's best brownies.  She sent me the recipe 10 years ago.  And I've never made them...  *hanging head in shame*  The problem with making a pan of brownies is that I will eat a pan of brownies.  By myself.  Hiding in the closet so as not to be interrupted.  And I will be happy.  And covered in crumbs.  And in need of a crane to get out of the house.  So in the interest of not putting myself into a chocolate coma, I don't make brownies.  I once made a pan of vegan brownies that had black beans in it just to see what would happen.  I went up a pant size is what happened.  So just for you guys and just for Christmas I have decided to face my addiction and make these just for you.  If you do indeed become a closet brownie eater, don't come cryin' to me.  I gots my own problems.  Like how to hide this empty pan as quickly as possible.

World's Best Brownies
Yield: 1 9X13 inch pan

1/2 C butter
4 oz baking chocolate
4 eggs at room temperature
1/2 tsp salt
2 C sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 C flour
1 C roughly chopped pecans (opt)

Prepare 9X13 inch pan by lining the bottom with parchment paper.  Preheat oven to 350°. Melt chocolate and butter in a double boiler or the microwave (being careful it doesn't boil).  Place in the refrigerator for a few minutes.  Beat eggs and salt until light in color and foamy.  Continue beating and gradually add sugar and vanilla until well creamed.  Remove chocolate from refrigerator.  With a few swift strokes, manually combine the cooled chocolate mixture into the eggs and sugar.  Before the mixture becomes uniformly colored, fold in (again by hand) flour.  If you want to add nuts, before flour is uniformly colored, stir in pecans gently.  Bake for 25 minutes if you want super gooey, not-quite finished brownies, 40 minutes, if you like them soft, but not oozing.  A toothpick test won't work well, but if you touch lightly in the middle of the pan, it should not leave a dent and the top will look done.  Remove the pan from the oven, run a knife around the edges and invert the baking pan over a cookie rack.  Remove pan and wait 5 minutes before peeling off paper.  Or you can just eat them out of the pan with a fork in your closet...

Review:
These are the best brownies in the entire world.