A Basket Of Brownies

 One of the best baked goods to come out of any kitchen is a pan of brownies. Who doesn't love a square of chocolate decadence/ Yet can you make them lusher and richer? Yes! You can!

Melissa Clark knows this and gave us three variations on the treat in Wednesday's New York Times Food section. Her recipes are true to her tastes - and they reflect ours as well. She has salted pretzel ones that brings in savory and crunch and ones that are an homage to the classic Mounds bar. Those have a well of coconut in the middle. Then there are her pecan pie brownies rife with the flavorful nut and the sweet filling that goes with it.  The salted pretzel brownies have the added surprise of a graham cracker and crushed pretzel crust underneath to also give them a cookie vibe. There's also the richness of one stick of butter added to this , giving the treat a nice buttery flavor too. The rest of the recipe is the classic brownie one, with processed Dutch cocoa and chocolate chips. A whole pretzel is placed  on top so each square gets a whole pretzel. You could sub in one of those buttery checkerboard ones for a fancier look or even sticks for a more rustic appeal.

The coconut macaroon ones have the added creaminess of condensed milk and egg white to create a homemade macaroon. These would be good on their own but they'll take the simple but delicious brownie to the next level. Ms. Clark makes the brownie batter first and then the coconut. A tablespoon of the last is put in what would be the middle of each square or four by four rows. Flaky sea salt such as Malden's is sprinkled on top and then the batter is baked for half an hour. The pecan pie brownie is another decadent treat. The top is true pecan pie filling with dark sugar and the nuts. Usually the filling has corn syrup added but Ms. Clark subs in a quarter cup honey and omits the egg. It is still rich with a stick of butter and two tablespoons of heavy cream. The topping then poured on top of the brownie batter and spread in an even layer. Again sea salt is scattered over it to give it a jolt of savory. It's then cut into squares. You could sub in walnuts which has always been a brownie add in. Another idea is grating eighty-five percent chocolate over all three to cut the sweetness and add to the decadence. All three would be a great dessert with a scoop of chocolate gelato or an afternoon snack with a big glass of milk.

Brownies are a treat unto themselves. However make them extra special with either a pretzel crust, a mound of coconut macaroon or a layer of pecan pie. It's taking them to the next layer of goodness.