2 c. unsalted butter
8 oz. sweet baking chocolate
3 1/2 c. sugar
2 c. sifted unbleached flour
Pinch salt
3 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
4 c. coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts
36 pecan or walnut halves

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line muffin pans with paper cups. Melt butter with chocolate in top of double boiler set over simmering water. Combine sugar, flour and salt in large bowl. Stir in chocolate mixture. Add eggs and vanilla and whisk just until evenly moistened; do not over mix.

Fold in nuts. Spoon batter into cups 2/3 full. Top each with a nut. Bake until tests clean, about 40 minutes. Cool on racks. Makes 36.