Alice Medrich's Cocoa Brownies

thank you all so much. Very helpful, and reassuring.

I second (third?) nashama and Susan W - I make these brownies all the time and they're terrific - but "smooth" is a relative term.

As Nashama said, the mixture doesn't become smooth until the eggs are added. Also, I have never gotten it hot enough to want to pull my finger away when I touch it. They are great brownies, but those two items in the recipe are misleading.

I've made these for years - once the butter is melted and the mixture is homogenous I take it off the water bath. It will become smooth and glossy once you add in the remaining ingredients and mix well. They're the best brownies!