Making Brownies (again!)

It is not that I really, really love Brownies, I just really, really love chocolate!  And right now I am trying to clear my cupboards.  That sounds more respectable than it should.  I am trying to use up all the American food (read chocolate) before we go back and I want to buy more!

After 28 years living in Scotland, I have truly adjusted and adapted.  This means I can honestly live without sweet pickle relish, grape jelly and instant chocolate pudding mix!  My poor Mom used to come over here with one suitcase full of the strangest assortment of food!  But there are just some things that are not the same over here.  And that is mainly the size and variety of the bags of chocolate chips and Baker's chocolate squares.

To be perfectly honest, I don't understand Baker's chocolate squares, they are just big squares of unsweetened chocolate used in baking.  I imagine you could substitute any comparable type of chocolate, but I find the presence of chocolate squares comforting.  In saying that, I usually buy them, bring them back here and forget to use them. So my mission before boarding the plane for Orlando is to use up what I have from last year!




Another of my obsessions is buying cookbooks.  I think I have that under control, but you never know when I might see a unique one I must have!  Like the Brownies and Bars glorified magazine I picked up in Publix last year on one of our food buying sessions in Fort Walton Beach, FL.  This is published by Better Homes and Gardens and it fell into my shopping trolley!  I have enjoyed looking at it, but never tried any recipes until tonight!  And I think I will use it a lot now, it has so many fun recipes in it!  And some even use chocolate squares!

Like the Basic Brownie recipe made in one pot!  Too good to be true and so easy.  This could be a very dangerous recipe!  Looking for any excuse to bake, I decided to bring Brownies to work tomorrow.  We are having an all day team building session and what helps glue teams together better than luscious, delicious Brownies!

I have tried to convert the American measurements into ounces and grams and hope they work out for you if you try them!  And, as always, the "basic" no photos or notes recipe will follow at the end.

Basic One Pot Brownie    -  Fudgy Brownies
Prep:  20 minutes     Cool:  15 minutes     Bake:  30 minutes at 350F/about 180C

1/4 cup/ 4 oz/ 113 g   butter

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 cup/ 10 oz/ 290 g  sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2/3 cup/ 5 oz/ 145g all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)

1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Regardless of what kind of chocolate you use, it makes it easier to chop it up before beginning to melt with with the butter.

1.  In a medium saucepan heat and stir butter and unsweetened chocolate over a low heat until smooth
and set aside to cool.  (The timing at the top states cooling time 15 minutes, so that is what I did and it was just enough!)

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350F.   Line an 8 x8x2 inch baking pan and either grease pan or line it with greased foil or baking parchment.


2.  Stir sugar into cooled chocolate mixture.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating with a wooden spoon just until combined.  Stir in vanilla.  In a small bowl stir together flour and baking soda.  Add flour mixture to chocolate mixture; stir just until combined.  If desired, stir in nuts. *

Spread batter evenly in the prepared pan.

3.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Cool in pan on a wire rack.

If desired, spread frosting over cooled brownies.  Cut into squares.  Makes 14 brownies.  (this might be true if you cut them in the size you might get in a bakery - like most Americans are used to, but I got  28 nice bite size brownies, and as rich as they are, that is big enough!)

*I added 1/2 cup chocolate chips instead of the optional nuts. Why? Because I had an open bag and that is not a good thing in my kitchen. Better to put those chocolate chips in the Brownies than let me continue to snack on them.  I am ok with any chocolate in the house - as long as it is not open!

There is a Chocolate-Cream Cheese Frosting suggested with this recipe, but I cannot imagine adding frosting on to any brownie. Yes, I have had many brownies with frosting, and it is delicious. But why?  Brownies are wonderful just as they are, and they don't need extras!

"If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself."

Henry Ford

Basic One Pot Brownie    -  Fudgy Brownies
Prep:  20 minutes     Cool:  15 minutes     Bake:  30 minutes at 350F/about 180C

1/4 cup/ 4 oz/ 113 g   butter

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 cup/ 10 oz/ 290 g  sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2/3 cup/ 5 oz/ 145g all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)

1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

1.  In a medium saucepan heat and stir butter and unsweetened chocolate over a low heat until smooth
and set aside to cool.  Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350F.   Line an 8 x8x2 inch baking pan and either grease pan or line it with greased foil or baking parchment.

2.  Stir sugar into cooled chocolate mixture.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating with a wooden spoon just until combined.  Stir in vanilla.  In a small bowl stir together flour and baking soda.  Add flour mixture to chocolate mixture; stir just until combined.  If desired, stir in nuts.  Spread batter evenly in the prepared pan.

3.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Cool in pan on a wire rack.  If desired, spread frosting over cooled brownies.  Cut into squares.  Makes 14 brownies.  (this might be true if you cut them in the size most Americans are used to, but I got  30 nice bite size brownies, and as rich as they are, that is big enough!)