I should be sitting at my computer writing on here all day, but what happens is I get hungry and things go downhill from there. Tonight I spoiled my dinner with about 8 handfuls of
Kirkland trail mix: a jumble of M&M's, raisins, and salted peanuts. You start out with a fairly well-balanced mix, but by the latter half of your handfuls, you've sifted out the raisins and peanuts and are eating straight M&M's. Girlfriend, I thought to myself, You Need This Energy. You Do. Keep Eating That Chocolate. Uh, Trail Mix. The Trail Mix.
In spite of being fairly stuffed from my energy cocktail (M&M's), I still ate dinner. And now I'm making brownies. My dad wanted some, and I am a good daughter. And I love ice cream on warm brownies, and with strawberries, and also scooped straight from the carton. For years we've made brownies from a packaged brown powder bought in bulk from Costco. But then I decided I was much too fancy for that, and set about trying to make brownies on my own. Multiple failures were had. Apparently you must be a chemist to make brownies properly. Usually, I ended up with hot, chalky, slightly browned flour. I went back to that boxed mix four times in tears, and it always took me back. What a toxic relationship we had.
But fluffy, lame, from-the-box-brownie no more. Mark Bittman, my main man, has giveth me a fudgey, cakey (but NEVER puffy or stiff), adaptable brownie, which really suits my whimsy for added ingredients.
The First From-Scratch Brownie Recipe I've Ever Had Success With
Adapted From Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything.
2 ounces of semi-sweet bakers chocolate, chopped
8 Tbsp of butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
A pinch of salt
Preheat the oven the 350ºF.
Combine the butter and chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat. Stirring constantly, whisk the butter and chocolate together until the chocolate is almost melted. Remove from heat, whisk until chocolate is completely melted.
Pour the chocolate mixture into a bowl. Add the sugar and stir to combine. Add the eggs one at a time and mix in well. Gently fold in the flour, salt, and vanilla. Scrape the batter into a greased pan. Bake for twenty or twenty-five minutes. Brownies should be a little underdone in the center just after baking.
I on;y made these yesterday, but they're already gone. Next time I'll have to make them in secret so I can snap some pictures.
Instead, here's my friend KChan in the fridge.
