From New York Times

Ingredients:12 brownies

  • ½ cup cocoa
  • ½ cup butter (1 stick)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1cup sugar
  • ¼ cup flour
  • 1 cup chopped or broken-up walnuts or pecans
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • Pinch of salt

Preparation:

  1. Heat oven to 325 degrees.
  2. Melt butter in saucepan with cocoa and stir until smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes, then transfer to a large bowl. Whisk in eggs, one at a time. Stir in vanilla.
  3. In a separate bowl, combine sugar, flour, nuts and salt. Add to the cocoa-butter mixture. Stir until just combined.
  4. Pour into a greased 8 x 8-inch-square pan. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Do not overbake; the brownies should be gooey. Let cool, then cut into bars.

Nutrition:

226 calories; 15 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 22 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 17 grams sugars; 3 grams protein; 25 milligrams sodium

 

While high in calories, sugar, and saturated fat, chocolate is also high in antioxidants, which can help prevent DNA damage and cell damage that can lead to cancer. Flavanols in cocoa can help lower blood pressure, increase HDL (“good”) cholesterol, and decrease LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. Dark chocolate can enhance your mood because it contains polyphenolic compounds that lower cortisol, a stress hormone. It is also a good source of magnesium, which helps the body’s immune cells target abnormal or infected cells.