Isn’t she pretty?

Cake-like on the inside, a nice crispy crust on the outside.

Not oily, not too sweet, and dense, chocolate-y goodness.

Actually, brownies in general are not that hard to make, but I didn’t know that until I tried making them myself.

*slaps forehead*

If only I knew how bloody easy they were to make, I would have been doing them from scratch instead of buying brownie mix.

Homemade brownies taste better, take the same amount of time as boxed brownie mix & are much, much cheaper to make.

Oh well, lesson learned.

Finished product.

PERFECT BEGINNER BROWNIES

Amount Per Serving (???) Calories: 183 | Total Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 47mg

Note: I don’t know what a “serving” is, because I like to cut my brownies into reasonably large chunks.

I also don’t count brownie calories, because they’re free on any day that ends with the letter “y”.

Ingredients

BROWNIE

* Note: I didn’t have vanilla extract, so I used almond extract instead.

They turned out just as tasty, and with orange essence, it gave it a slight bitterness that I actually don’t mind.

Either way, putting in a teaspoon of either essence won’t kill the delicious brownie flavour. Experiment with whatever you’ve got (except perhaps, lemon…)

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract*
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

FROSTING [Optional]

Note: I found them just sweet enough as is, so I omitted any kind of frosting, because I don’t like overly sweet, cloying brownies.

• 3 tablespoons butter, softened
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8 inch square pan.

FB: I greased it really well with butter & then lightly floured the pan.

2. In a large saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter. Remove from heat, and stir in sugar, eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat in 1/3 cup cocoa, 1/2 cup flour, salt, and baking powder. Spread batter into prepared pan.

FB: Don’t overheat the butter, because if you do, you may end up scrambling the eggs when you mix it in.

Also, prepare all of the mixtures ahead of time, so you can just mix it all together without waiting & measuring.

3. Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Do not overcook. Slice into squares.

FB: I started at 25 minutes & increased it by 5 minute intervals, in between checking the middle of the brownie mix with a fork to see if it was done.

If it came out cake-like and not like a liquid, it was done.

Also, I don’t like slicing them into tiny, itty bitty squares, because I KNOW I am just going to eat 2 or 4 to make up for the size. 😛

4. To Make Frosting: Combine 3 tablespoons butter, 3 tablespoons cocoa, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1 cup confectioners’ sugar. Frost brownies while they are still warm.

FB: Totally optional for me. I found the brownies just sweet enough… and I don’t like overly sugary or sweet desserts for some reason, but I do love myself some sugar-shock candy like Cadbury Creme Eggs.

Odd, right?

I am contesting that last line that tells you to frost them while still warm. Not to contradict the best brownie recipe ever, but if you do it while they’re still warm, the frosting will melt and soak into the brownie. *shudder*

I’d suggest waiting until the top is fairly cool, and then frosting them.

Or frost them as you eat them, so the frosting doesn’t melt into the brownie.

Recipe located here, along with 2000+ reviews of how awesome they are.

Moist, even 4 days later (stored in a Starfrit glass container).

It’s crusty & crispy on the edges & top, and the inside is incredible.