The Baked Brownie

What kind of brownies did you make?

Baked.

Yes, of course they're baked. What recipe?

Baked.

Aren't all brownies baked?

No, some are Dorie Greenspan and some are Alice Medrich.

Well which are yours?

Neither, they're Baked.

A lot like "whose on first?" isn't it?

Only if you're not familiar with the cookbook by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito called Baked  New Frontiers in Baking. These two guys opened a hip bakery (did you know there could be such a thing?) in Brooklyn in 2005. It was an immediate success.

How can you go wrong with "fluffy cakes covered in cooked frosting", "crisp, chewy cookies" and "the best marshmallows ever"? Plus more than a few items featuring everyone's favorite chocolate/peanut butter combination, like Peanut Butter Pie with Cookie Crust and Peanut Butter Crispy Bars.

Then, six months after opening, their brownies got a mention from Oprah, whose slightest whispers can guarantee a rush of publicity and success. The brownie was also proclaimed "the best" by America's Test Kitchen and the Today show.

Of course a "best" brownie is a very subjective thing.
If you like a cake-y brownie, this is not for you. I suggest you make a nice chocolate cake instead.
If you like a brownie that's a close cousin to candy, try the Katherine Hepburn recipe.

If you want a brownie that's on the fudgy side, rich with chocolate flavor throughout, with a lovely crackly top, this one's for you.

I won't type out the recipe for you (I don't have permission), but you can find it right here. I  highly recommend that you use the best chocolate you can find. And don't even think about overbaking them - it's simply unallowable.

I also recommend the cookbook, because it contains charming and helpful suggestions as well as pounds and pounds of yummy recipes with loads of chocolate and other wholesome ingredients.

All of them Baked.