Best Brownies....EVER!!!

This fantastic recipe comes from my February Bon Appetit....and let me tell you these brownies ROCK!!! The whole family devoured the darn things...Chris actually said "these are the best brownies I have ever eaten." The original recipe calls for walnuts...I ommitted the nuts...my kids aren't huge fans. It's your call...sometimes you feel like a nut...sometimes you don't!

Cocoa Brownies with Browned Butter and Walnuts

Pam cooking spray
10 tbsp (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1" pieces
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup cocoa powder*
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp water
kosher salt
2 large eggs, chilled
1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp flour
1 cup chopped walnuts

Position rack in bottom third of your oven; preheat to 325. Line a 8x8x2 in baking pan with foil, pressing foil firmly against sides & leaving a 2" overhang. Spray foil and pan with cooking spray.

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking until butter stops foaming and browned bits form in bottom of pan, stirring often, about 5 minutes (butter will be golden brown in color). Remove from heat; immediately add sugar, cocoa, 2 tsp water, vanilla and 1/4 tsp (generous tsp) kosher salt. Stir to blend. Let cool 5 minutes (mixture will still be hot). Add eggs, one at a time, beating vigorously to blend after each addition. When mixture looks thick and shiny, add flour & stir until blended. Beat mixture vigorously 60 strokes. Add nuts. Transfer batter to prepared pan.

Bake brownies until toothpick inserted in center comes out almost clean (with a few moist crumbs attached), about 25 minutes. Cool pan on baking rack. Using foil overhang, lift brownies from pan. On a clean cutting board, cut brownies into 4 strips. Cut each strip crosswise into 4 brownies; peel off foil. Store in an airtight container at room temp.

*Make sure to buy natural unsweetened cocoa...not Dutch-processed variety. Hersheys has a great all natural cocoa. Dutch-processing nuetralizes the cocoa & lacks the chocolately "flavor punch" of natural cocoa.