Carmel Walnut Brownies-

Brownies

Ingredients:
• 8- 1 ounce squares of unsweetened chocolate
• 1 cup butter
• 5 eggs
• 3 cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1-1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2-1/2 cups chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. (Or 325 degrees for dark metal or glass pans)
2. Grease a 9 x 13 pan.
3. Melt chocolate and butter in a saucepan over low heat;
4. While the chocolate and butter are beginning to melt, toast the nuts. (see below)*
5. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, sugar and vanilla at high speed for 10 minutes (do mix for 10 minutes!). (see below)**
6. Remove chocolate/butter mixture from heat and set aside to cool slightly.
7. Mix 1-1/2 cups flour and 1 teaspoon of salt in a separate bowl with a wire whisk.
8. While the mixer is running slowly add the chocolate mixture to the egg mixture. If a stand mixer is unavailable, add the chocolate a little at a time between mixings.
9. While mixing gradually add in the flour.
10. Hand stir-in the nuts.
11. Next, carefully put mixture into prepared pan for baking.***
12. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Do not over bake.
13. Cool in pan on wire rack. Cut into squares.
14. Frost if desired but really not necessary if they turn out good! :)

* Toast nuts however you like. I do oven toasting by preheating Oven to 375 degrees and in a low sided pan, evenly spread nuts. Bake, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned.
** Do use a mixer if you have one and do mix for 10 minutes! When I don't have a mixer I just mix with a fork really well for 10 minutes and just add chocolate/butter mixture slowly and then add the flour mixture slowly as well. Has worked for me both ways. But so much easier with mixer!
*** I almost always double (even triple) the recipe (for bigger eatings) and use a cookie baking sheet to bake the brownies, like I did Sunday. I just double and then see how thick or thin of a layer the batter is in the cookie sheet. If I think batter is too thin I mix up another batter and add to it before baking. If I like the thickness of the batter at 2 batters I bake it up. Just personal preference but it works just fine for single batter in a 9X13 pan!

Semi-homemade brownie
(And I think this tastes almost just as good and can't tell difference)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (325 for dark or glass pans)
Grease a cookie sheet.