Brownies Cockaigne

From The Joys of Cooking
Rombauer, Irma von Starkloff
Becker, Marion Rombauer


I used to make these often when the kids were growing up.  I just gave 1/3 of the brownies away to some neighbors/friends.
I have to say it is important to follow all directions (making sure the eggs are light in color, and foamy in texture, sifting the flour, folding in the chocolate, and flour with a "few swift strokes".  Also, use an electric mixer because it takes a while to get those eggs light in color and foamy.  The less you mix it once you add the flour, the lighter the brownie.
The picture isn't much, until you start to see the details.  A paper thin crunchy upper crust, a combination of cake-like and chewy, moist, these brownies have it all.  

Here's the recipe:

"Almost everyone wants to make this classic American confection.  Brownies may vary greatly in richness and contain anywhere from 1 1/2 cups of butter and 5 ounces of chocolate to 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 ounces of chocolate for every cup of flour.  If you want them chewy and moist, use a 9 x 13-inch pan; if cakey, a 9 x 9-inch pan.  We love the following:

Preheat oven to 350
Melt in a double boiler:
  1/2 cup butter
  4 oz. unsweetened chocolate

>>Cool this mixture.  If you don't, your brownies will be heavy and dry.
Beat until light in color and foamy in texture:
  4  eggs at 70 degrees
  1/4 teaspoon salt

Add gradually and continue beating until well creamed:
  2 cups sugar
  1 teaspoon vanilla

With a few swift strokes, combine the cooled chocolate mixture and the eggs and sugar.
>>Even if you normally use an electric mixer, do this manually.  Before the mixture becomes uniformly colored, fold in, again by hand:
  1 cup sifted all-purpose flour

And before the flour is uniformly colored, stir in gently:
  1 cup pecan meats

Bake in a greased 9 x 13-inch pan about 25 minutes.  Cut when cool, as interiors are still moist when fresh from the oven.