When Brian and I first got married, I tried a bunch of different brownie recipes looking for one he liked. With each one, he'd eat one, maybe 2, the day I made them, then they would just sit there. Every time he'd say, "Yeah, I like 'em okay." Finally, after what felt like the gazillionth attempt, he looked at me and said, "You know, I really just like the ones out of a box." I was deflated. A box? Really? Versus something from scratch? But that's my husband for you. A majority of the time he'd also just be satisfied with a candy bar or some M&M's for a snack rather than some homemade cookies. So, I started just making our brownies out of a box. I'll admit, I like them, too. They seem to get so moist and chewy in a way that homemade ones just don't. Then we moved to Asia. No more boxed brownies at the store. To top it off, we moved to a city that was at 7,500ft in elevation. If you know anything about altitude and baking, you know that it's difficult to get things to work right. Brownies are at the top of the list. I again found myself trying recipes--but this time, they failed before they even hit the table for anyone to try! And if someone sent a box of brownies in a package, even following the "high altitude" directions (3500-5500ft), they didn't often turn out. But then my friend, Laurel, gave me this recipe. It works at high altitude. It works fine at sea level. And it's great for overseas because it uses OIL!! No expensive butter or hard to find shortening. And my box-brownie-loving husband even gives these the nod of approval--so I have called them almost-as-good-as-boxed brownies for that reason!! Enjoy!
Almost-as-Good-as Boxed Brownies
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup oil
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup chocolate chips or chopped up chocolate bars (add more if you want)
Mix together dry ingredients. Add oil, eggs, and vanilla and mix until moistened. Finally, stir in chocolate chips. Pour into greased 9x13 pan and bake at 350F (180C) for 20-25 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Variation: Make these a little more rich using butter. Omit oil and substitute 1 cup melted butter. Increase cocoa to 1 cup.
High Altitude (~10,000ft) Adjustments: Decrease sugar by 2 Tbs. Add 1/4 cup flour. Use only 1/2-3/4 tsp baking powder. Use extra large eggs. Add 2-3 Tbs water. Bake just until set in center.
Almost-as-Good-as Boxed Brownies
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup oil
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup chocolate chips or chopped up chocolate bars (add more if you want)
Mix together dry ingredients. Add oil, eggs, and vanilla and mix until moistened. Finally, stir in chocolate chips. Pour into greased 9x13 pan and bake at 350F (180C) for 20-25 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Variation: Make these a little more rich using butter. Omit oil and substitute 1 cup melted butter. Increase cocoa to 1 cup.
High Altitude (~10,000ft) Adjustments: Decrease sugar by 2 Tbs. Add 1/4 cup flour. Use only 1/2-3/4 tsp baking powder. Use extra large eggs. Add 2-3 Tbs water. Bake just until set in center.
i totally agree on your brownie recipe, ever since i started using it last year, there is no going back, we LOVE them...but they are dangerous because i eat way to many :)
ReplyDeleteI was wanting to make a treat today but was too tired to do any of the things I had been thinking about. Then I saw your post and whipped these together while Jacob did dishes. He was amazed how quick it was. They were very good! He says they are better than the box! Thank you for sharing! A possible tip if you use the butter -- in a recipe my family has used for years you melt the butter in the oven -- then you don't dirty another dish and you grease your pan.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the idea about greasing the pan with the melted butter, Sara!
ReplyDeleteI made these the other day but they were a little dry. I made them in individual metal cups that we use for muffins but next time I'll try using the pan and butter instead of oil.
ReplyDeleteNicole--not sure what might have happened for you. I doubt it was the muffin tins, though I can't remember that I have made these in them. There are a couple things you might think about...one is your sugar. Its hard to get really fine grain sugar here, and the finer the grain the more expensive it gets. But in baked goods, its worth the expense of the finer grain. Things just don't work as well (especially cakes and brownies) with the thicker granules. Another thing to look at might be your eggs. Most recipes assume you are using the American idea of a LARGE egg. Most of the eggs I get in the market are a lot smaller than the US definition of Large, if you ask me. I search for the largest ones when I'm buying them. So sometimes, if my eggs are on the small side, I'll add and extra or at least the white from an extra egg. But using 4 small eggs might not give it the moisture it really needs. You may have used fine sugar and large eggs and still gotten dry brownies, but those are 2 things many of us have struggled with in our baked goods over the years. I hope those are some ideas that help you for next time!! Let us know!
ReplyDeleteI made these brownies and have to say that they are the best brownies ever. My family absolutely loved them. I have made them many times since!
ReplyDeleteGlad you like them! Both me and Brian are still suckers for boxed brownie mixes but these are most definitely our favorite ones from scratch!
ReplyDeleteI was just introduced to your blog by a friend and it is great! I used to be able to find boxed brownie mixes in my city but now they're no longer available. Now, though, I don't have to be upset about that anymore! Thanks for sharing your great ideas with us.
ReplyDelete