Walnut Brownies

These walnut brownies are sized for a small household. Baked in a loaf pan instead of a big sheet, you get a dozen or so thick bars without a week’s worth of leftovers going stale on the counter.

Creaming vegetable shortening with cocoa powder first creates a smooth, dark paste that distributes the chocolate flavor evenly through the batter. One egg, sugar, and vanilla get beaten in, then the dry ingredients go in on low speed. The less you mix after adding flour, the fudgier the result.

Chopped walnuts folded in at the end add crunch and a bitter, earthy note that balances the sweetness. They toast slightly during baking, so they come out more flavorful than they went in.

Pro Tips

• Beat on low speed after adding the dry ingredients. Overmixing develops gluten and turns fudgy brownies into cakey ones.
• The loaf pan shape means these brownies are thicker than a typical sheet pan batch. Check at 15 minutes and pull when a toothpick comes out with just a few moist crumbs, not totally clean. Carry-over heat finishes the center.
• Grease the pan well or line with parchment for easy removal. Brownies stick aggressively to unlined pans.
• Cool in the pan before cutting. Warm brownies crumble and tear instead of slicing clean.

Variations

• Swap walnuts for pecans or toasted hazelnuts.
• Add a tablespoon of peanut butter to the creamed shortening mixture for a chocolate-peanut butter brownie.
• Dust the tops with powdered sugar or drizzle with melted chocolate after cooling.