Brownies, or some kind of simple bar cookie, are a great asset to have in your recipe box. You can pull them out, whip them up, and get them to the potluck or party in reasonably short order. You probably have a simple chocolate brownie recipe that you use; these two are a little off the beaten track. I’ve always had good success with them.
Mother's Good Brownies
This is the way I make these—I’ve streamlined the recipe by using the microwave to melt the butter in the same bowl I use to mix up the brownies. I have no idea of the original source. A teaching colleague was eating one for lunch many years ago and it looked so good that I asked her for the recipe. My best estimate for the sugar content for one brownie, if cut into 24 bars, is 15 grams. The butterscotch chips would have a little more sugar, the chocolate chips a little less. But you'd better content yourself with just one!
Ingredients
- 1 stick butter Melt this in your mixing bowl, 2 min. @ 50% power.
Mix in:
- 1 ½ cups brown sugar
- 1 ½ tsp . vanilla
- 2 eggs
Stir or sift together:
- 1 ½ cups flour
- ¾ tsp . baking powder
- ¾ tsp . salt I usually just use a heaping 1/2 tsp. instead of these weird 3/4 tsp. measurements, although if you have a 3/4 tsp. measuring spoon you can use that.
- 1 cup chopped nuts optional
- 1 cup chocolate chips or butterscotch chips Butterscotch chips are the best, in my opinion.
Instructions
-
Mix dry ingredients into the butter/sugar/egg mixture.
-
Stir in optional nuts and chips.
-
Spread batter into a 9x12 baking pan.
-
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
Recipe Notes
People go absolutely crazy over these, and they are the easiest brownie recipe I have. You'll note that the recipe makes a whole 9x12 panful, which is more than most brownie recipes. I've said that you'll get 24 brownies out of this, which will be true if you make them fairly small--4 across and 6 down. You can certainly make them bigger.
Mexican Chocolate Brownies
Ingredients
- 3/4 stick butter
- 3 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate Bittersweet is better.
- 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate Or you can substitute 6 tablespoons cocoa powder and 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup whole almonds toasted until golden and cooled. The original recipe calls for blanched almonds, but I always just buy the natural almonds with the skins. It's harder to see if they're toasted or not if they have the skins on, but about 5 minutes at 350 is probably fine.
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 350 F. and butter and cocoa powder a 9-inch square baking pan, knocking out excess cocoa. (As noted in an earlier recipe, using flour for a chocolate item leaves a white residue; much better to use cocoa. Plus, you get an extra layer of chocolate! Hard to beat.)
-
Melt butter and chocolate in the microwave, starting with 2 minutes on 50% power. Use the mixing bowl you're going to use to mix up the batter. If you're using the oil and cocoa instead of the unsweetened chocolate, stir that in after the bittersweet chocolate is melted. Set aside to cool while you proceed.
-
In a food processor process sugar and almonds until ground fine. Stir almond mixture into chocolate mixture and add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well until mixture is glossy and smooth. Stir in flour, salt, and cinnamon until just combined.
-
Spread batter evenly in pan and bake in middle of oven 20 minutes, or until a tester comes out with crumbs adhering to it. You may need another 5 minutes or so. Cool brownies completely in pan on a rack before cutting into 16 squares.
Recipe Notes
These are seriously rich, dark, and fudgy. The ground almonds add a nice texture.
