All I really need is love but a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt! — Lucy, “Peanuts”

When I think of chocolate, I think of chocolate cake or brownies - nothing else, not candy, ice cream, truffles, etc. And as far as brownies go, these things are good. Not great for a healthy diet, mind you, but incredibly good and worth the splurge now and then. Luckily, I'm now in the habit of bringing the leftovers (if any) to work, to keep me honest.

These are super easy and I've been asked for the recipe each time I've made them, so I figure that warrants a post. I also have to say that of all the brownie recipes I've made and/or tried, I believe that they are my favorite too and given the ingredient, I usually only have to buy one ingredient. They are chewy, so if you are a "cakey" brownie type person, you may or may not like them. Also, since they are pretty rich, I cut them up to be bite-sized. Here you go! And by all means, if you can - PLEASE eat at least one warm from the oven with some good vanilla bean ice cream. Holy chocolate cow, they are gooooood.

Perfect, Gooey, One-Bowl Brownies

• 4 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
• 3/4 cup butter
• 2 cups white sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
• 1 tsp cinnamon (The original recipe doesn’t call for this, but I always add it, it just gives them more depth of flavor)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
2. Microwave chocolate and butter or margarine in large bowl at HIGH for 2 minutes or until butter or margarine is melted.
3. Stir until chocolate is melted. Stir in sugar. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Stir in flour and nuts.
4. Spread in greased 13 x 9 inch pan. Bake for 35 minutes (do not overbake). (**I suggest lining the pan with foil and then spraying with cooking spray like "Baker's Joy". It makes for super easy cleanup and the brownies just look a lot better because they are so easy to get out because after cooling, you just lift the foil out of the pan and onto a cutting board.)