Best Chocolate Brownies

1. Stage

Preheat the oven and line baking pan: Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C), with a rack in the lower third of the oven. Line the bottom of an 8-inch square baking pan with foil or parchment paper in such a way as there is an overhang on two opposite sides to make it easy to lift the brownies out when they're done.

2. Stage

Heat the butter, cocoa, sugar, salt: Place the butter, cocoa, sugar, and salt in a medium-sized metal bowl. Fill a large skillet halfway with water and bring to a bare simmer. Set the bowl of the butter cocoa mixture in skillet of simmering water. The bottom of the bowl should be touching the bottom of the skillet. Stir the butter cocoa mixture until the butter has melted and the mixture is smooth and hot to touch. Remove the bowl from the skillet and let it cool down a bit, from hot to warm.

3. Stage

Stir in the remaining ingredients: Stir in the almond extract. Then, stir in the eggs, one at a time, beating strongly after each addition. Once the batter is well mixed, shiny, and thick, stir in the flour. Beat for 40 strokes with a wooden spoon. Mix in the pecans until distributed throughout the batter.

4. Stage

Pour the batter into lined pan: Pour the batter into the prepared lined pan and smooth the surface evenly.

5. Stage

Bake: Bake 25 minutes (at a minimum) at 325°F (160°C), or until a bamboo skewer or toothpick inserted into the center comes out still a little moist with the brownie batter. Depending on your oven, baking time may take from 25 minutes to 40 minutes. Cool completely on a rack.

6. Stage

Cut: When the brownies have completely cooled, lift up the sides of the foil or parchment liner to remove them from the pan. Place the brownies on a cutting board and cut into squares or rectangles.