Sunday, May 27, 2012

Brownies "from scratch"


This recipe was one of my Mom's "go to" desserts - particularly for unexpected guests.  It is about as quick and easy as using a mix but much tastier!  As I made the brownies, I did another series of photos for the (someday to be completed) family cookbook.  If you are having a picnic or cookout for the holiday weekend I think these would be a hit.

Here are the steps - first preheat your oven to 350 degrees...


Take two sticks of butter or margarine (1 cup) and four squares of unsweetened chocolate (4 one ounce squares) and put them in a pan large enough to mix the entire recipe.


Melt the butter and chocolate over medium to low heat.


The butter will melt first and then the chocolate.  Stir the mixture until it is completely melted then turn off the heat and let it cool for a few minutes.


Crack four (yes 4!) eggs into a dish and add two (2) teaspoons of vanilla.


Beat together the eggs and vanilla in the bowl.


While the chocolate and butter are cooling, prepare a 9 x 13 inch baking pan by spraying it with vegetable oil and coating the pan with cocoa (if you use cocoa instead of flour there won't be any white edges on the finished brownies).


After the melted butter and chocolate mixture has cooled, stir in the eggs and vanilla.


Stir to blend the eggs in completely.  Be sure to let the chocolate and butter cool down so you won't "cook" the eggs when you add them.


Next add two (2) cups of sugar, one (1) cup of flour and two (2) teaspoons of baking powder to the chocolate mixture.  (You can sift these together first but I get a little lazy and just throw them in the pan and blend).


Stir to blend all of the ingredients.


When the mixture is well blended, it will pull away from the pan a bit.  Use a spatula to make sure all of the dry ingredients have been mixed in.  You can add chopped nuts (1 to 2 cups) at this point if you like nuts in the brownies.


Pour the batter into the prepared pan.  It will be thick so you should use the spatula to spread it evenly in the pan.


Take the pan and tap it a few times on the counter top before putting it in the oven - this makes sure that the batter is level.


Bake for 25 - 30 minutes in the preheated oven.  The edges will look dry and pull away from the edge of the pan slightly.  Check the center in a few spots with a toothpick.  If it comes out clean, they are finished. 


Let the pan cool and then cut the brownies into squares (it looks like I could have used my Dad's cutting grid to make these a little more even!).


Serve alone or with ice cream and chocolate sauce (totally decadent!).


These are moist and chewy brownies.  For slightly more cake-like brownies you can substitute three (3) tablespoons of cocoa and one teaspoon of butter  for the unsweetened chocolate squares (just melt all of the butter, add the eggs and vanilla and then stir in the cocoa along with the other dry ingredients)

Enjoy the chocolately goodness!

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6 comments:

  1. These sure do look yummy. I could eat a couple right about now to go with my morning coffee.
    Your recipe is almost like the family recipe that I use.
    Sometimes when I make mine I may add about 1 cup of the mini chocolate chips in with the batter; just for alittle more chocolate flavor :}
    Thanks for the recipe. I saved and will probably be making these in a day or 2
    ColleenB.
    Texas

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  2. Thanks for this recipe. It looks delicious and I can't wait to make it.
    Claire

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  3. This recipe looks just like the one my mom would make for us when I was a kid. I've been looking for it for ages...must have misplaced it. So a huge THANK YOU.

    I'm wondering about the quantity of chocolate tho. Since it calls for 4 1-oz. squares, the ones in the photos must be half oz. squares?

    Thanx again,
    Connie C.

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  4. Thanks for the recipe and directions. Those sure look delicious!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi Connie,

    There are four squares in the pan - the Baker's chocolate brand that I used makes the squares "breakable" into half squares for different recipes. Those are the rectangles that you see in the photo so there are eight rectangles but four squares - clear as mud?
    Just use four ounces of whatever brand and it will be fine!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Your brownies look and sound delicious and easy to make. I'll be trying them the next time my craft group meets at my house. They're all chocoholics! Thanks for the recipe.

    ReplyDelete

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