Cocoa Brownies

You are going to thank me for this one. Boy, oh boy.

The last time I made brownies was while my husband and I were staying at my mum's house for a few nights last summer. I think the combination of being in my childhood home plus it being a chilly rainy day somehow evoked a craving for the brownies my mum and I used to make. We both loved gooey undercooked brownies and would devour a pan together easily.
But other than that I really don't make brownies very often. Maybe it's because there are so many other interesting sweets I'd rather try, or maybe because I know I'll most likely eat the whole pan in a day and then regret making them at all.
But yesterday I just had this serious chocolate craving that needed to be cured. I had my mind on this chocolate and pear tart that I thought I had remembered reading about on Smitten Kitchen. To my dismay my dream dessert did not exist so I quickly set about browsing all things chocolate and (you guessed it) stumbled upon these delectable brownies which are better than any I've ever tried before.

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

10 tablespoons (or 5 ounces) butter
1 1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs, cold
1/2 cup flour
2/3 cup chopped pistachios (or nut of your choice)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line the bottom and sides of a 8" X 8" baking pan with parchment paper, leaving some hanging over two opposing edges.
Combine butter, sugar, cocoa and salt in a double boiler (or a bowl set over a saucepan with an inch of water in it). Bring water to a simmer a stir well as cocoa mixture melts. Stir occasionally until it is almost too hot to touch with your finger. Remove from heat and let cool until just warm, not hot. Add vanilla and one egg at a time and stir vigorously. When batter looks shiny and well blended add flour. Stir until flour is completed combined and then keep stirring vigorously for another minute or so. Add nuts, mix well, pour into prepared pan and spread evenly.
Bake until a toothpick emerges still slightly moist, around 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Then pulling on parchment paper, lift out of pan and gently slice into squares.