I AM THE FORCE

Brownies can be kind of boring, so I didn't used to pay a great deal of attention to them. Then, I discovered this recipe in a Julia Child baking cookbook, and my whole life changed. Eating these brownies is sort of like the first good meal you ever have in France. You're left stunned and slightly spent. Then you get emotional about all of the years you've spent unaware of this new pleasure. This is not like a Special K Bar thing, people. This is something much more precious. Like...never mind. It takes a little patience, but is really not that difficult. Make them, and then thank me. And remember, there's more to life than politics.

THE ABSOLUTE BEST BROWNIES YOU WILL EVER HAVE IN YOUR LIFE

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate(use the good stuff) coarsely chopped
2 ounces bitterseet chocolate(see above) coarsely chopped
2 cups baking sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 large eggs

Center a rack in the oven, and preheat to 350 degrees. Sift the flour and salt together and set aside. Melt the butter and chocolate together in a double boiler over low heat water. Add 1 cup of the sugar to the mixture and stir for half a minute. Then remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Pour the mixture into a large bowl.

Put the remaining 1 cup sugar and the eggs into the bowl of a mixer and whisk just to combine. Little by little, pour half of the sugar and eggs mixture into the chocolate mixture, stirring gently but consistently with a rubber spatula so that the eggs don't set from the heat. With a whisk on your mixer, whip the remaining sugar and egg mixture until they are thick, pale, and doubled in volume, about 3 minutes. Using the rubber spatula, gently fold the whipped eggs into the chocolate mixture. When the eggs are almost completely incorporated, gently fold in the dry ingredients.

Pour and scrape the batter into an unbuttered 9 inch square pan and bake for 25 to 28 minutes, during which time they will rise a little and the top will turn dry and darkish. Cut into the center at the 23 minute mark to see how they are progressing. They'll be perfect if they are just barely set and still pretty gooey. They're still awfully good on the other side of set, so don't worry if you miss the moment on your first try. Cool the brownies in the pan on a rack. Cut into 1 1/2 by 3-inch bars to serve.