Whole Wheat Brownies

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.

2. Place chocolate and butter in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. Stir frequently, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula to avoid scorching, until chocolate is melted, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool for 5 minutes.

3. Combine sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and salt in a large bowl; beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Stir in the cooled melted chocolate until incorporated. Fold in flour and then stir in chocolate chips and walnuts. Pour batter into the prepared baking pan and spread evenly.

4. Bake in the preheated oven until top is dry and edges have started to pull away from the sides of the pan, 25 to 28 minutes. Let cool completely before cutting into bars.

Cook's Notes:

You can use 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour in place of the 1 cup whole wheat flour, if preferred. Pecans can be used instead of walnuts.

Using quality 70% dark chocolate chips or semisweet chips adds a rich chocolate taste to these brownies.

If you cut the brownies before they completely cool, they will be very gooey due to the chocolate chunks and brownie batter texture, but if you wait until they have completely cooled, they will set up perfectly. Either way, they are delicious and rich.