RON SWARNER: GREAT AMERICAN DESSERT >>>

Pacific Grill is participating in the Share Our Strength’s Great American Dine Out, a week-long national restaurant event. Through Sept. 26, thousands of restaurants, including Pacific Grill, have joined together to raise funds to help end childhood hunger in America. After you donate to the Great American Dine Out at Pacific Grill a complimentary Julia Child Warm Brownie Sundae dessert will arrive to your table.

I stopped by to donate and try the brownie sundae. The dessert is amazing. I couldn’t finish it even after a light lunch.

I simply had to have the recipe. Now you have it, too:

JULIA CHILD’S “Best Ever Brownies” from Baking with Julia
18 servings

1 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

8 ounces unsalted butter

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

4 large eggs

Eleven steps to heaven
1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat oven to 350 F degrees.

2. Sift the flour and salt together and set aside

3. Melt the butter and chocolate together in a medium saucepan over low eat, stirring frequently and keeping a watchful eye on the pot to make certain the chocolate doesn’t scorch (alternatively, you can melt the ingredients in the top of a double boiler over, not touching, simmering water.) Add 1 cup of the sugar to the sugar to the mixture and stir for half a minute, then remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla.

4. Pour the mixture into a large bowl

5. Put the remaining 1 cup sugar and the eggs into a bowl and mix or whisk by hand just to combine

6. Little by little, pour half of the sugar and eggs into the chocolate mixture, stirring gently but constantly with a rubber so that the eggs don’t set from the heat.

7. Fit the whisk attachment to the mixer and whip the remaining sugar and eggs until they are thick, pale and double in volume, about 3 minutes

8. Using the rubber spatula, delicately fold the whipped eggs into the chocolate mixture

9. When the eggs are almost completely incorporated, gently fold in the dry ingredients

10. Pour and scrape batter into an unbuttered 9-inch square pan

11. Bake brownies for 25-28 minutes.

Cool before slicing and serving.

The key here is a heated ganache and Olympic Mountain Vanilla Bean ice cream.

Enjoy.

[Pacific Grill, 1502 Pacific ave., Tacoma, 253.722.1490]