So...I made these brownies today, and I totally screwed them up, and they are still the best brownies I've ever made! First, the good news. I halved the recipe and baked them in a 9-inch square pan, which worked perfectly. I also added 1/2 cup (per the half batch) of chopped pecans. Yum! However, I guess I did not melt the butter and sugar enough, because I did not get the much-desired, super-shiny top. And then I didn't hear my timer go off, and ended up over-baking them by SIX MINUTES! Yegads! The brownies around the outside were definitely overdone, but the inner ones were still perfect. And the FLAVOR! I used a mix of Ghiradelli and Scharffenberger cocoas, and with the espresso powder, the chocolate flavor is so deep and lusciously BITTERsweet! DELISH! So I'm giving myself a solid B grade for my first attempt. Next time, I will melt the sugar more and keep a close eye on the bake time, and I'm sure to produce an A+ batch! Thanks, King Arthur! Your dilemma is a common one with bakers. We tend to multi-task and not pay attention to the step at hand! This, I believe, is the case with the sugar/butter melting. First, sugar/butter needs to melt and be stirred and second, heated again to foam/bubble (just barely). We're looking forward to your A results! Irene at KAF

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