Well, it has been pointed out to me that I have indeed not posted this recipe, so here it is for your tasting enjoyment. These are wonderful, fudgy brownies.

Brownies With White Chocolate Chunks

Adapted from the “Basic Brownie” recipe in The Best Recipe, by the editors of Cooks Illustrated

Makes one 9×13 pan or two 8×8 pans of brownies
You can halve this and make one 8-inch square pan of brownies, but…why?

16 Tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter (if using salted butter, omit the extra addition of salt)
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 1/3 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
6 ounces white chocolate, diced 1/8″ – 1/4″ squares (not too big, but now powdered, either)

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease your baking pans with oil (not butter). I use a spray like Pam.

2. Melt the chocolate and butter together in a medium, heatproof bowl set over a pan of almost simmering water, stirring occasionally until the mixture is smooth. Alternatively (and much more easily), use your microwave: melt the chocolate alone at 50% power for 2 minutes. Stir the chocolate, add the butter, and continue microwaving at 50% for another 2 minutes. If the chocolate is not entirely melted, microwave an additional 30 seconds at 50% power. Whichever method you use, allow the chocolate/butter mixture to cool for ten minutes before using it; it can be warm to the touch but not too hot.

3. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in a small bowl. Set aside.

4. Whisk sugar into cooled chocolate/butter mixture. Whisk in eggs and vanilla, then fold into flour mixture until just combined. Add white chocolate and fold until evenly distributed.

5. Pour the batter into the baking pan(s). Bake until a toothpick inserted halfway between the center and the edge comes out with just a few fudgy crumbs, about 20 minutes for 8×8 pans and about 26 minutes for 9×13 pan. If batter coats the toothpick, return the pan to oven and bake for another 2 to 4 minutes. Cool brownies completely in pan set on wire rack. Cut into squares and serve. (Pan can be wrapped in plastic, then in foil, for up to 2 days. To preserve moistness, cut and remove brownies only as needed.)

Notes:
If you’re not a fan of white chocolate, you can also substitute 1 cup of chopped nuts for the white chocolate.

It will come as no surprise to anyone who knows me that I am extremely picky about the ingredients I use. You can use other brands or sources and I’m sure these will come out just fine, but if I’m going to take the time to make something from scratch, I prefer to use the best I ingredients I can. So, for this recipe:
Butter – Plugra, or similar European butter (higher butterfat content than regular butter), gives this recipe an added richness (as if it needs it!). It’s not a requirement but it sure makes a nice addition.

Chocolates – I used Ghirardelli, though there are lots of other high-quality brands out there. Do not, under any circumstances, use Baker’s chocolate. It’s vile and chalky and does not give a quality finished product. The Ghirardelli unsweetened and white chocolates are sold in four-ounce bars at most grocery stores – look in the chocolate section of the baking aisle.

Cake flour – Swan’s Down is the standard choice in most grocery stores around here, and it works just fine

Baking powder – I prefer Rumsford since it isn’t loaded down with corn starch like other brands (Clabber Girl) are. This probably doesn’t have much effect on the finished product, though.

Salt and sugar – Commodities. Use what you have on hand.

Eggs – Make sure you use large eggs and not medium or jumbo eggs. For the longest time I substituted jumbo for large eggs until I read in Shirley Corriher’s Cookwise that 1 jumbo egg yolk = 1.5 large egg yolks. When you have a recipe that calls for four eggs, now you’re adding six egg yolks – that’s more than enough to screw up a recipe.

Vanilla extract – No question here. Take the time and the extra cost and get Penzey’s Double-Strength Vanilla Extract. I have made the same recipe with Penzey’s vanilla and a store-brand “real vanilla extract” and you can definitely taste the difference in the finished product. You can theoretically use half as much of the double-strength vanilla extract but funny thing, I never seem to 🙂

Enjoy!