Is It Possible to Eat Just a Little Bit of Chocolate?

Anything is possible. But when chocolate desserts are sitting on the table, I’m not one to walk away—or turn down seconds.  There is no real way to deal with my chocolate passion.

I’ve tried the Jodie Foster method of not keeping chocolate in the house.  She claimed it worked for her.  I’ve tried this approach, but the rest of the family rebelled and brought in their own chocolates.  And I knew where they kept them.

I’ve tried making a bad chocolate dessert and learned there is no such thing.  No matter how awful it is, it’s still worth eating.

My latest attempt is trying new chocolate recipes in the hope that one of them will be so overwhelmingly wonderful that one bite will be enough.  Cocoa Brownies almost fit this description.  They are pretty wonderful, but then I have second thoughts and have to taste them again to be sure. 

Cocoa Brownies – makes 25 (1½-inch squares) – adapted from “Chocolate on the Brain”) 

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter + more for greasing the pan
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt 

Place oven rack in the middle position and begin preheating the oven to 350 degrees.  Line an 8- or 9-inch square pan with aluminum foil, making sure two ends of the foil overhang the pan by about 2 inches so you can easily lift the brownies out of the pan later.  Lightly rub the bottom and sides of the foil with butter and set aside. 

Melt the butter in a medium pot over low heat.  When it has melted, turn off the heat and stir in the cocoa powder.  Add the sugar, eggs and vanilla and mix thoroughly.  Add the flour, baking powder and salt and mix just until combined. 

Pour the batter into the foil-lined pan and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the top feels firm.  These brownies taste better under-baked.  Remove from the oven and cool on a rack for 15 minutes.  Lift the ends of the foil and remove the brownies from the pan.  Pull off the foil and cut the brownies into 25 squares.  Store in an airtight container or wrapped in foil or plastic wrap.

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