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My attempt to bake the above failed miserably last week. Why? Well, my oven temperature has been all wonky for quite some time, but for some reason, I optimistically thought that I might just get a lucky break this time around.

Right.

So although I baked the brownies at the recommended temperature, the whole tray came out burnt at the top, bottom and sides. And not burnt burnt as in 1st degree…oh no, it was burnt to a crisp, charred, hangus…

Naturally, it didn’t taste all too good and wasn’t at all photogenic, hence the lack of an update post after my baking attempt. M even called them ‘naked brownies’ coz I had to cut off the top, bottom and sides…

Undeterred, I decided to retry the recipe at my mum’s place this afternoon. Not surprisingly, it was perfect, as you would expect from Pierre Hermé’s recipes. It seemed a little weird not to cream the butter and sugar together, and my hands literally itched to sieve the flour, but everything went a-ok. 22 minutes in the oven and the brownies came out with a crinkly, dry top but was nice and moist inside.

And just in time for my dad’s teatime snack…

Ingredients:

1. 5 ounces (145 grams) bittersweet chocolate, preferably Valrhona Caraibe, finely chopped
2. 2-1/4 sticks (9 ounces; 260 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3. 4 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
4. 1-1/4 cups (250 grams) sugar
5. 1 cup (140 grams) all-purpose flour
6. 1-1/4 cups (5 ounces; 145 grams) pecans or walnuts, lightly toasted and very coarsely chopped (keep the pieces large)

Instructions:

1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter a 9 x 12-inch (24 x 30-cm) baking pan, fit the bottom with a piece of parchment paper, butter the paper, and then dust the inside of the pan with flour; tap out the excess and set the pan aside.
2. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over �?? not touching �?? simmering water or in the microwave oven. Remove the chocolate from the heat and leave it on the counter to cool slightly. The chocolate should be warm to the touch (no more than 115°F (45°C), as measured on an instant-read thermometer when you mix it with the other ingredients.
3. Working in a bowl with a flexible rubber spatula (or in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment), beat the butter until it is smooth and creamy but not airy. Stir in the chocolate. Gradually add the eggs, then add the sugar, followed by the flour and nuts, stirring only until each ingredient is incorporated. (If the mixture separates when you add the eggs, use a whisk to blend the batter and continue with the whisk when you add the sugar; go back to the spatula or paddle for the flour and nuts.) This is not a batter to be beaten or aerated.
4. Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 19 to 22 minutes; at this point, the top of the cake will be dry, but a knife inserted in the center will come out wet. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and allow the brownies to cool for 20 to 30 minutes.
5. Run a blunt knife around the edges of the pan and unmold the brownies; remove the parchment paper and turn the brownies over to cool to room temperature right side up. When you are ready to serve, cut the brownies into 18 pieces.

Keeping: The brownies can be wrapped airtight and kept at room temperature for 2 days or frozen for up to 1 month.