1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 eggs
3/4 cup Hershey's European Style cocoa or Hershey's cocoa
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Heat oven to 350°F.

Grease 13 x 9 inch baking pan. In a medium microwave safe bowl, melt butter. Microwave at high (100%) until nearly melted. Stir in sugar.

Allow butter/sugar mixture to cool for 10 minutes.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat eggs, one a at time, beating well after each addition. Stir in cocoa and butter/sugar mixture; beat until well blended.

Stir together flour, baking soda and salt. Add gradually to mixture, beating only until streaks of flour can no longer be seen. Do not overbeat mixture or brownies will be tough. Add vanilla. Stir in nuts, if desired.

Pour batter into a greased and floured 13x9 inch pan.

Bake 20 minutes or until brownies just begin to pull away from sides of pan.

Cool. Cut into bars.

Makes about 36 brownies.