Palm Beach Brownies

• 8 ounce unsweetened chocolate
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 2 cups walnuts
• 5 eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon almond extract
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 4 teaspoons powdered instant expresso
• 3 ¾ cups sugar
• 1 ⅔ cups unbleached flour, sifted

Adjust an oven rack one-third up from the bottom and preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a 9x11x2-inch pan with foil. Brush well with melted butter. Melt the chocolate and butter in the top of a large double boiler over hot water on moderate heat or in a small, heavy saucepan on low heat, stirring occasionally. When combined, remove from heat and set aside. Break the walnuts into pieces if necessary, trying to keep them fairly large. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the eggs with the vanilla and almond extracts, salt, expresso and sugar at high speed for 10 minutes. On low speed, add the chocolate mixture and beat only until mixed.Add flour; beat just until blended. Stir in nuts. Spread in prepared pan; smooth top.

Bake for 35 minutes, reversing the pan from front to back once to insure even baking. At the end of 35 minutes, the cake will have a firm crust, but when tested with a toothpick will appear underbaked. Do not be concerned, it is done. Remove the pan from the oven and let stand until cool. Invert the brownies onto a cookie sheet and remove the foil. Cover with length of waxed paper and another cookie sheet, invert again. This cake MUST be covered and refrigerated for a few hours or overnight before it is cut into bars.

Makes 32 JUMBO brownies.

Recipe By : Maida Heatter (3-22-1996)