For the most part, Mama has always made everything from scratch. Homemade cakes, cookies, and pies were the norm, but she would open one box when she made brownies. My father worked for a company that made, among myriad other things, brownie mix. I remember opening the Christmas gifts from corporate friends that contained a potpourri of company products, including the familiar red box—the brownie mix. Perhaps one of the reasons I am so fond of these brownies is that they represent my first solo forays into baking. Other than turning on the oven, I was allowed to prepare the brownies all by myself.

　　

Ingredients

makes 24

　　1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus more for the dish

　　2 cups sugar

　　1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

　　1 1/4 cups cocoa powder

　　1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

　　1 teaspoon fine sea salt

　　4 large eggs, at room temperature

　　1 tablespoon vanilla extract

　　12 ounces best-quality semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

　　1 cup chopped pecans

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Brush a 9 x 13-inch baking dish or pan with butter.

　　

Step 2

In a saucepan, melt the 1 cup of butter over medium heat; add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Keep warm.

　　

Step 3

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter mixture and stir to combine. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, chocolate, and nuts. Stir until the chocolate is fully melted and the ingredients are combined (the batter should be very thick). Alternatively, you can mix the batter in a heavy-duty mixer. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Smooth the top with an offset spatula.

　　

Step 4

Bake until set, 25 to 35 minutes. Remove to a rack to cool. Cut into pieces and serve. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

　　From Bon Appétit, Y’all: Recipes and Stories From Three Generations of Southern Cooking, © 2008 by Virginia Willis. Reprinted by permission of Ten Speed Press. Buy the full book from Amazon or Abe Books.