Well, I've finally done it: found you the BEST brownie recipe that ever existed, and--what else? My discerning readers will note, from the photos, that something has changed at The Honey Roasted. Then again, all of you know me personally, so this will come as nothing of a surprise.

Having written at length about my marital status here, it seems appropriate to announce: I am engaged. Mere days after my New Year's post, in which I posited that this might just be the best year of our lives, the love of mine asked me to be his wife. We have since been catapulted into a whirlwind of blissful planning and celebration, leaving me little time for the meditative joys of cooking and writing about it.

Until last night--when I celebrated the start of the weekend by whipping up an early Valentine's offering for my soon-to-be husband. And for all (three) of you.

After scouring recipe books (and the Smitten Kitchen website) searching for the perfect confection, I stumbled across the fudgy slice of divinity known as the Baked Brownie. Chosen by America's Test Kitchen and our future president, Oprah, as the best brownie in the world, this dark heavyweight features 11 ounces of dark chocolate, espresso and dutch-processed cocoa powder, and a healthy measure of my favorite sweet counterpoint, sea salt. It is moist, rich, delicate, and eminently satisfying.

Yes, as crazy-delicious as this brownie is, you will be very well satiated after just one. It's like the tantric sex of the dessert world--excruciatingly pleasureful; designed for leisurely, delayed enjoyment; almost certain to end in a nap.

The recipe is detailed, yet easy to follow--and should in no circumstances be deviated from, lest you end up with brownies that are too cakey, crumbly, or otherwise not the revelatory mouthgasms that are these. So get out your 9x13" pan, buy the best chocolate you can find--don't even think of using chocolate chips--and prepare to have your world rocked. Without further ado: let's fall in love.

The Baked Brownie (adapted from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking)

Ingredients
1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp dark unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Dutch-processed)
11 oz dark chocolate (60 to 72% cacao), coarsely chopped (NO CHOCOLATE CHIPS!)
1 c (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tsp instant espresso powder
1 1/2 c granulated sugar
1/2 c firmly packed light brown sugar
5 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Notes Before You Begin
* Be sure to use a dark unsweetened cocoa powder like Droste or Valhrona. Light cocoas lack sufficient depth.
* Eggs MUST be at room temperature--and once they join the party, do not overbeat them into the batter.
* Check your brownies often as they bake. An overbaked brownie is not a Baked Brownie.

Recipe
Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter the sides and bottom of a 9x13" glass or light-colored metal baking pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, salt, and cocoa powder together.

Put the chocolate, butter, and instant espresso powder in a large bowl and set it over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and smooth. Turn off the heat, but keep the bowl over the water and add the sugars. Whisk until completely combined. Do not overbeat the batter at this stage or your brownies will be cakey.

Sprinkle the flour mixture over the chocolate mixture. Using a spatula (not a whisk), fold the flour mixture into the chocolate until just a bit of the flour mixture is visible.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake in the center of the oven for 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out with a few moist crumbs sticking to it. Let the brownies cool completely, then cut them into squares and serve.

Tightly covered with plastic wrap, the brownies keep at room temperature for up to 3 days.