I've been making these brownies, adapted from Nick Malgieri's Supernatural Brownies recipe, since I was in high school, and they really are the best. One piece of advice—the flour can sometimes be hard to work into the rest of the batter, so be sure to mix well, preferably with an electric mixer.

    • 2 sticks (16 tablespoons) butter, softened
    • 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
    • 4 eggs
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 1 cup dark brown sugar
    • 1 cup granulated sugar
    • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
    • 1 cup flour

Butter a 13 x 9-inch baking pan and line with buttered parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350 F. In top of a double boiler set over simmering water melt butter and chocolate together. (The softer the butter is before you melt it with the chocolate, the better. Frozen butter can take a long time to melt.)

In a large bowl or mixer, whisk eggs. Whisk in salt, sugars and vanilla. Whisk in chocolate mixture. Add flour, making sure to mix it in well. Pour batter into pan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until shiny and beginning to crack on top.

To read about how marathon trainee Eleanor Barkhorn whipped up Easter brunch for 25, click here.