These aren’t really crispy – they’re a thin, cake-like brownie with a crisp nut topping. But this is what she called them, so we’re sticking to that. Whatever they are called, they’re delicious. (TBH, Carla usually makes a double recipe because a single doesn’t last long enough.)

• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup butter
• ½ cup “chocolate paste”
• ¾ cup flour
• 2 eggs
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• Pecans, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. In a coffee cup, mix cocoa powder and water until you get about ½ cup of thick “chocolate paste.” Stir until smooth, then add to mix. Add flour, and mix. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each. Add vanilla, mix.

Spread the batter in an 8- or 9-inch square baking pan. Sprinkle very generously with chopped pecans. Bake at 350 degrees about 25-30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool pan on wire rack.