Martha Stewart's Double Chocolate Brownies

Duck Duck Go

I was searching for a saute pan on Google at work one day (my bad!). From that point on every website I visited was advertising saute pans. Thank goodness I wasn't searching for something funky! I was being stalked literally. I miss the old days when I could search without feeling like someone is watching all the time.

When Google announced they were going to store histories I started logging out of the myriad Google services that I have become addicted to. It is quite annoying actually and think what an irony that Google's corporate motto once used to be "Don't be Evil". Logging out alone is not enough, if cookies are enabled they track based on IP address. To me they are no more the new, trusted and admired company they once were. I am suspicious of their motives all the time. I wonder if the top search result is there because of the advertising dollars they have paid.

Then I discovered Duck Duck Go the new kid on the block. There is no targeted advertising with the search results and the top billing does not go somebody who has paid a few bucks for top placement. Their search results are not necessarily as good as Google but I don't have to keep looking over my shoulders all the time.

Has Google's policy changes altered the way you do searches? I am trying but undoing my Google addiction is proving to be hard. My fingers type Google.com even if I am sleeping. That is how much Google has penetrated our lives.

Now on to the recipe, you guessed it. I was Googling for a brownie recipe and hit upon Martha Stewart's Double Chocolate Brownies. With her recipes there is very little that goes wrong. DD, her friend and DD2 did most of the work and the brownies turned out pretty good. We kept it a few minutes longer in the oven and did not pay attention to the crumb on the tooth pick when checking for doneness. Pay attention to that and you have yourself some very good looking and delicious brownies.

Double Chocolate Brownies Ingredients

1. 1 stick unsalted butter
2. 6oz semi sweet chocolate chips
3. 1 1/2 cups of sugar
4. 3 Eggs
5. 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
6. 1/2 tsp salt
7. half cup + 2 tbsp of white whole wheat flour
8. 1/2 cup of chopped pecans

Method

1. Line parchment paper(see note) in an 8inch pan. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. In a double boiler(see note) melt the butter and chocolate and whisk together till it gets shiny and remove from the fire.
3. Whisk in the sugar and the eggs one by one followed by the cocoa and salt.
4. Now slowly add the flour till it is combined. Add in the chopped nuts.
5. Pour the batter in the prepared pan and bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes.
6. When the toothpick inserted comes out with some moist crumbs remove from the oven and let cook for 15 minutes.
7. Remove from the pan using parchment, let cool completely and make squares.

Note:

1. Double Boiler Setup: Use a sauce pan and fill it with water to half. Place a mixing bowl on top. Make sure the water does not touch the bottom of the pan. Pictures here.
2. Though buttering the pan should be sufficient, using parchment paper helps getting the brownies from the pan easier.