Best brownies I've ever made...

These are incredible and worth the extra effort.  Try them and let me know what you think! This recipe comes from:  http://www.threelittlehalves.com/

Fudgy Dark Chocolate and Pecan Brownies

* 120 grams (4 oz) pecan halves (walnuts also work lovely)
* 200 grams (7 oz) dark 70% cocoa chocolate (I use Lindt 70% smooth dark or Valhrona 71% Noir Amer)
* 170 grams (12 tbsp) butter
* 20 grams (scant 3 tbsp) Dutch-process (alkalized) cocoa
* 260 grams (9 oz) sugar
* 1 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract (I use Nielsen Massey)
* 3 large eggs
* 95 grams (3.3 oz) all-purpose flour
* generous 1/4 tsp salt (with this amount the saltiness will be barely detectable, if you want it to be more prominent, increase the quantity to 1/2 tsp)

hardware
* one 8 by 8 inch square baking pan
* parchment paper

One hour before baking, bring the eggs to room temperature.

Preheat the oven at 325F convection (350F regular bake).

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the pecans on the baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until pecans are toasted and dry, stirring occasionally. Let the pecans cool completely. Chop the pecans into coarse pieces. You may do this well in advance.

Line the pan with the parchment paper. It's important to do this neatly, because crumbling the paper will create dents in the cake and ruin its sides. There are several methods around, here is how I like to do it. To line the pan with parchment paper, take a piece of a precut parchment paper, or cut a length of parchment paper long enough to line the bottom of the pan with about three inches hanging over the sides. Repeat with another piece of parchment paper. (The brownies are heavy, and I found that it works better if you line the baking pan with two pieces instead of one.) Center the pan on the first piece of paper. With a pencil draw the outline of the bottom of the pan. Lift the pan -- you will have the drawing of an 8 by 8-inch square in the middle of the paper. Continue to draw, and now draw the line that extends each side of the square on both ends until it reaches the edge of the paper. With the scissors, cut out the four small squares in the corners of the outline. (Take a look at the photo at the beginning of the post to see the shape.) Fold in the sides. Repeat with the second piece of parchment paper. Oil the baking pan lightly, and place in the first piece of parchment paper, so that it fits snugly and covers the pan like its second skin. Oil the paper again gently, and place in the second piece of parchment paper.

Preheat the oven at 325F convection (350F regular bake).

Break the chocolate into small pieces. Cut the butter in tablespoon-sized pieces. In a medium saucepan combine the chocolate and the butter and set over very low heat to melt. Stir frequently. (If you have strong burners, and it is not possible to get the heat to very low, use a double boiler.)

Transfer the chocolate mixture into a large bowl. Add the cocoa and mix well. When the cocoa is fully incorporated, add the sugar and mix well. When the sugar is completely incorporated, add the eggs, salt, and vanilla. Mix vigorously for about two minutes with the spatula. At first the mixture is going to be somewhat grainy but keep on mixing; gradually it will become very thick, glossy and smooth. Add the flour, and give it a couple of stirs, but do not over-mix. Add the nuts and give mixture another stir or two, so that the nuts are evenly incorporated. Pour the mixture into prepared pan, and place in the middle of the oven. Bake for 30 minutes for a very creamy brownie, 35 min otherwise. (The brownies should be just-set in the center. Do not bake longer, even though you might be unsure if they are done.) Remove the pan from the oven and leave the brownies to cool completely. I like to give them a couple of hours of rest, and two or more hours in the fridge before cutting. Cut into 16 or 20 pieces -- they are pretty filling so smaller pieces are better.