I am a chocoholic and brownies are on top of my list of chocolate obsession! I may sound like a snob but I do not eat just any brownie…it has to be moist, chocolaty, fudgy and not over sweet. I am big fan of Ghirardelli brownie mix and never felt the need to make it from scratch. According to my opinion, they are the best-boxed brownie mix out there!

I am so glad I craved for some warm brownies in this gloomy, rainy weather and there was no box of brownie mix in my pantry. What next…I had the ingredients at home and this is how my first ever “made from scratch” brownie was made which I am surprised I waited this long to make…rest is history!

Now let’s recap that history so I can share with you the recipe that made me feel “oh-so-ecstatic”! I have added brown sugar and cane sugar in this recipe and I was extremely happy with the result. As far as the kiddos, they gobbled these down in no time. What else do I need…this recipe is a keeper!!

Recipe                             Makes: 12-15 squares                                              Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup all purpose flour
• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 1 stick or ½ cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup dark chocolate morsels
• 1/2 cup pure cane sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Method

1. Add butter and dark chocolate morsels in a pan and melt on the stove on medium-low heat, stirring continuously.
2. Once melted, remove the chocolate sauce from heat and allow it to cool slightly.
3. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.
4. In a medium bowl, sift flour, cocoa powder and salt.
5. In a separate bowl, mix chocolate sauce, sugars, and vanilla essence until it forms a smooth batter. Lightly beat the eggs separately and add to the batter and mix again.
6. Add the dry ingredients and gently mix until dry ingredients are well incorporated, making sure not to over mix or else you will not get the chewy consistency.
7. Spray a 7×11 inch pan or 9×9 inch square baking pan with cooking spray.
8. Pour batter into the pan and bake for 25-30 minutes.
9. Oven temperatures vary so keep checking. Use a toothpick to check if the center of the brownie is done.
10. Cool completely and cut into squares. Enjoy with a glass of milk or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Notes

• You can melt the chocolate and butter in a microwave safe bowl in 20-30 second increments, until it forms a smooth sauce.
• Make sure not to over mix the batter.
• You can substitute with a cup of regular sugar.
• Add ½ cup to a full cup of chocolate chips in the batter for that extra chocolate taste.
• You can add milk chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate instead of the dark chocolate.
• Go nuts and add ½ cup of chopped walnuts!