Brownie Recipe Help

I need help finding a brownie recipe.
Several months ago, a friend of mine brought me some brownies from a bake sale. They were very dense, not-too-sweet with a deep, complex chocolate flavor and without frosting.
Since then, I've had them in my head as a "brownie-ideal" but I haven't been able to find a simple recipe.
I've tried the Cook's Illustrated recipe, the Joy of Cooking (best of the bunch but still not right on), back of the Baker's chocolate box, numerous other cookbooks, used the convections setting on my oven...still not feelin' it.
Does anyone out there know what I'm getting at. I think it's the really intense chocolate flavor I'm missing. I want a really brownie-y brownie.
I'd appreciate any recipes the LTH community thinks might come close to what I'm getting at.

Becca

This is adapted from Gourmet Magazine, February 2000. They said it was probably the fudgiest brownie they'd ever tested. They've become a favorite at family gatherings, as well as for the LA Chief of Police! I call these super brownies.

Chocolate Brownies

3 sticks unsalted butter, cut into pieces
12 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped
6 large eggs
1¼ cups cake flour (not self-rising)
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
3 cups sugar
½ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 13x9x2” metal baking pan.

Melt butter with chocolate. When smooth, remove from heat and whisk in eggs, 1 at a time. Sift together flour and cocoa powder in a separate bowl and stir into batter with sugar and salt.

Pour batter into pan and bake until top is firm and a tester inserted into center comes out with crumbs, 40-45 minutes. Notes: Underbaking is better, because the sides get pretty toasty. I use Scharfenberger 70% Cacao chocolate, and have slightly reduced the amount of sugar without any problems.

Great! Thanks so much! I've actually felt like the batches that came the closest had both cocoa and chocolate. I will try with the Sharfen-Berger bittersweet. How can any recipe with 3 sticks of butter be bad?

for more brownie recipes, here are some other recipe websites I frequent:

http://www.allrecipes.com/
http://www.recipezaar.com/

I also use the receipe submitted by tcdup as my favorite brownie recipe (I believe they come from The Farm of Beverly Hills). Since they are so dense, I find that it helps to refridgerate them overnight before slicing them. I also use slighly less sugar than is called for in the recipe. They're really great.

tcdup wrote:This is adapted from Gourmet Magazine, February 2000. They said it was probably the fudgiest brownie they'd ever tested. They've become a favorite at family gatherings, as well as for the LA Chief of Police! I call these super brownies.

Chocolate Brownies

ronnie_suburban wrote:
EvA's hazelnut torte by justjoan, brownies by jygach, Panela and molasses ice cream with candied bacon and strawberry-balsamic gelato by wustlmike and Bruce's butter cookie dough cobbler (blueberry peach) by Cookie Monster

Ronnie_suburban's great photos from the LTHForum 1,000-Recipe Potluck, June 22, 2008, appear here, including this shot showing the super chocolate brownies, as prepared by jygach. Jygach also commented on the brownies.

Does this recipe make sense?
I just realized that you make mousse and put it on the brownies before baking. Wouldn't that curdle the mousse?
http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/2 ... 7567.shtml

I don't have the book w me, but the ones from the King Arthur Flour bakers book are ambrosia and fit the bill completely for what you are describing.

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/ ... ies-recipe

I think this might be it, but I can check tonight-

I'm not sure that's the same type of thing. Mine says you make brownie batter, then make mousse and spread it over the top like a frosting, then bake.

Baking shouldn't curdle the mousse. Baked mousse is basically a souffle (although neither the cream or egg whites are being whipped here, so it's not exactly a mousse or a souffle, more a custard) so you should get a brownie with a layer somewhere between custard and souffle on top.