How to make the best brownies ever, plus a recipe

There's nothing like the sight of a freshly baked batch of brownies. And not just for those of us with a sweet tooth. Most people _ well, the fun ones _ are brownie fans, which is why we see them everywhere, from potlucks to office parties, birthdays to school lunches. Rich to the hilt and unapologetically messy, a great brownie is savored slowly, with your eyes closed.

And while there may be no such thing as a "bad" brownie, the best ones are truly memorable.

Chocolate, butter, sugar, flour and eggs, mixed together and baked in a pan. Simple as they may appear, there is a definite chemistry behind a great brownie recipe. "When we teach brownies, we always talk about listening and paying attention to the recipe," says Clemence Gossett, co-owner of the Gourmandise School of Sweets & Savories in Santa Monica. The ratio of each component, the quality of ingredients, and the method by which they are combined and baked can make a good brownie even better.

Over the last few weeks, I tested close to a dozen brownie recipes from a variety of sources both old and new. Some recipes call for chocolate, others use