I have been baking brownies for nearly as long as I can remember - starting when I was in fourth grade. I can vividly remember the plastic spiral bound Children’s Hospital Cookbook that had recipes submitted by the women volunteers at a local hospital. The brownie recipe I frequently made from it was good, not great, as I recall - not enough chocolate flavor for my taste - even then.
When I met my husband I was already a brownie mix convert (one of the few instances when a mix produces a delicious baked good, in my book) but didn’t have an allegiance to any particular mix. My husband, however, would only use the Duncan Hines mix, and only if you use milk instead of water when preparing the batter.
Now I have been converted back to homemade brownies but only with this recipe that my friend and neighbor brought back from vacation some years ago. She too is a brownie baker and she said the brownies she had on vacation made by a family friend were the best she’d ever had. Simple, truly chocolaty with hardly any flour, these are the real deal. I make these at least once a week (my kids love to help) and always have the ingredients on hand:
Ingredients:
4 (1 oz. each) squares unsweetened chocolate (4 ounces chocolate total)
1/3 c. butter
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2 eggs
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
Line a 9″ x 9″ pan with foil. Butter foil. Melt the chocolate and butter and stir until all the chocolate is melted and the mixture is a uniform consistency (you can use a double boiler but I just put a small bowl in the microwave and stir and check every minute or so to make sure it doesn’t burn). In a separate medium size bowl beat the egg and sugar until a light yellow color and creamy. Add chocolate mixture and stir. Add vanilla, add flour and salt, mix until combined and pour into pan. Bake at 350 degreesfor 20 - 25 minutes, or until a toothpick just comes out clean. I start checking at 18 minutes - do not overcook.
You can jazz the brownies up with a dusting of confectioner’s sugar if you would like, but they are equally delicious straight up.
03.05.09 @ 11:04 am
Sounds delicious! I often use the recipe on the back of the Chippets chocolate chip with great results!
Can’t wait to try this new one!
03.05.09 @ 4:52 pm
MMMM…I’m trying this one for sure….looooovvveee brownies!
03.05.09 @ 7:09 pm
I will definitely try this Recipe for Brownies…love the Rachael Ray show.
How do I get tickets for her Show PLease
03.05.09 @ 7:25 pm
It would be nice if people would give their location. Here in Colorado with our high altitude a lot of the recipes that are posted do not work well here. Thanks.
03.05.09 @ 8:07 pm
I’m challenging your best brownie recipe ever!!! I think that I have the best recipe ever!!!
1 cup (unsalted or regular) butter or marg., melted
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 eggs
2 cups packed brown sugar (this makes the brownies chewy and soft!!)
1 cup flour
Preheat oven to 325. Grease and flour (lightly) or line with parchment paper (I think this gives the best results), a 9″x9″ pan (try not to use glass, it doesn’t bake as well). Combine first 4 ingredients in a large mixing bowl (I use my KitchenAid stand mixer). Beat well. Mix in flour. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake about 35 minutes, or until just barely firm to the touch and edges are pulling away slightly from the sides of the pan. DO NOT OVERBAKE!!!
Optional: top with 2 1/2 cups mini marshmallows and toast under broiler approx. 2 minutes until light golden brown, or frost as usual.
This recipe doubles really well, and bakes into a 9×13 pan then. I’ve also substituted unsweetened applesauce for 1/2 of the melted butter/marg, and the doubled recipe can be made with 3 eggs if that’s what you’ve got.
I also have another brownie recipe that we’ve declared time and again that I should never make again, because it’s sooooo good!! It has almost a whole bag of crushed Fudgeos, a bag of chocolate chips, and baking chocolate in it, and the “frosting” is melted mini Rolos…I know, you’re wondering who could resist - no one I’ve ever met!!
Good luck on the quest for the perfect brownie!!
03.06.09 @ 1:33 am
thank for the recipe in my birthday..
i will try..
03.06.09 @ 7:46 am
OK these look good and moist but,I have arecipe that will knock your socks from.
You use the Duncan HInes family size box,it’s has 3 or 4 mixes in the box, I use 2. Follow the directions as stated But add mini chocolate chips, like Rach i don’t measure,especially chocolate, pour half the mixture in a 13×9 pan, place 3 large Hersey candy bars across the mix, then pour the rest of the mix on top of the candy bars, on top of the mix put dark chocolate chips 1 whole bag,if you like white choclate put a bag of that ,too. Put a big bag of your favorite nuts (I like pecans), then put a bag of mini chip on topof all that.
Bake at stated temp but remember with all that chocolate it’s going to take close to an hour,if not a little more. You can’t stick it withh toothpick because of the chocolate, but you’ll be able to tell when they are done. Everyone around here absolutely fights over these. My friends son in college hoarded his for over a month, eating just a little at a time so he would have them longer. I made enough so he could share with roomate. Didn’t happen!!!!LOL
LOve ya Rach
03.06.09 @ 10:28 am
PLAN B MOM - The recipe was fast and easy for homemade brownies. I doubled the recipe (making them thicker) and added some semi sweet chocolate chips! Yummy… Of course, you can add any additional items such as nuts, swirls of peanut butter, etc. They were moist with a nice chocolate taste and not too sweet. I’m trying to cut back on sugars,flour and butter/fats. This is very satisfying. You can also freeze them if there are any left!! Thank you.
03.06.09 @ 10:29 am
I have a brownie recipe that I have had for years. It is Kathryn Hepburn’s Brownie Recipe. It is very chocolaty and chewey.
Hepburn’s Brownies
8 TBSP Hershey’s Baking Cocoa
1 Stick butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
2 eggs 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
Melt butter, add cocoa and mix well. Stir in sugar. Add eggs & vanilla and beat like mad. Stir in flour, salt, and nuts. Mix well. Pour into a well buttered 8×8 pan. Bake in 325 degree oven for 40 minutes. Let cool and cut into squares.
(I mix these by hand)
03.06.09 @ 10:40 am
I would really like to have Brady’s recipe for Brownies with the bag of crushed Fudgeo’s with melted Rolo’s….sounds sooo yummy!!!
03.06.09 @ 11:45 am
OMGoodness, I’ll be trying Terry’s, Bradey’s and Plan B Mom’s recipes. I’ll let you know what the outcome is and how the family vote goes. I’ve been looking for a great brownie recipe for years! Will be in touch… soon!
03.06.09 @ 12:51 pm
i am challenging the best brownie recipe. i love mine, very good! low sugar (i half the original recipe) and i use whole wheat flour and you would never know.
beat 1/2 cup sugar and 2 eggs
add 2 heaping (and i mean heaping, all that will fit piled on the measuring spoon) tablespoons of cocoa, 1/2 cup of wheat flour, and a dash of salt
stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 heaping cup of chocolate chips, and then on top of the chocolate chips pour 1 stick of melted butter. (the butter will melt some of the chocolate chips)
pour in greased pan and bake at 350 for 20ish minutes. delicious!!!!
03.06.09 @ 10:38 pm
I took this recipe because I too am a brownie lover. I tried it and it was DELICIOUS the best I have ever tasted and made. Thank you so very much for this recipe. I know I will be making it time and time again. Thanks Teri
03.06.09 @ 11:52 pm
Why can’t anyone comment on the fact that they actually used the original recipe in question at first - and give opinion to that before stating anything else! I am going to try this is no help at all.
03.07.09 @ 12:33 pm
When I saw Plan B do you know what came to my mind?? the emergency contraceptive lol . some nice receipes I have written them down to try I have tried Bradey’s recipe and it did come out pretty good…
03.07.09 @ 4:14 pm
How do you keep from eating the whole pan???
03.08.09 @ 9:30 am
Okay so I made these and they are in fact delicious, but I had to cook mine for at least 25 minutes, maybe 30. Are you sure they shouldn’t be baked at a higher temp?
03.08.09 @ 10:12 am
I tried Bradley’s recipe but had poor results. It may have been the glass pan (I don’t own any small square metal pans) or I may have left out 1/2 cup of flour.
I was copying a couple of the recipes here to my laptop and I might have unintentionally remembered the one with 1/2 cup of flour.
They baked for 35 minutes but the center was not done. I put them in for 10 more minutes…not done. I’m going to leave them in for about 20 more minutes.
I guess there is always the next time.
Could there be too much sugar in my mix? I used the hot chocolate mix that I made from coca and sugar over the winter in an attempt to use it (making hot chocolate with milk is a PITA)
Al
03.10.09 @ 9:27 am
Gotta tell you….I’ve tried Kathryn Hepburn’s brownies before and made Tammie’s last night…. My families preference, hands down, Plan B Mom’s are better! Tammie’s seemed more greasy with all the extra butter. KUDOs to PLAN B MOM! Thanks for sharing.
03.10.09 @ 1:48 pm
Plan B’s recipe did not turn out at all. I cooked mine for 25 minutes and the top was this thick crust that cracked and crumbled. But the center was this uncooked mess. I live in WI so it wasn’t an altitude problem any other ideas about what went wrong? I didn’t substitued any ingredients or forget anything.
03.10.09 @ 3:11 pm
I like the active brownie discussion here - right up my alley. Donna - I am in New York State so you would have to adapt recipe for high altitude. Liz - I’m not sure what happened with your batch - some ovens run hot or cold which could have something to do with it. Also, maybe you needed to cook for longer - I always keep checking until a toothpick inserted in center comes out just clean. Also try letting them sit as they keep baking a little bit after they come out of the oven. In any event, sorry they didn’t work out for you!
04.22.09 @ 10:46 pm
These brownies sound awesome! I will have to bake these brownies this week. Thanks for the recipe!
10.02.09 @ 2:09 pm
Wow! Just made these and they DELIVER! Best FUDGEY brownie I’ve ever had. Of course, I had to Ice them because no self-respecting southern Mom would have a plain brownie. Although, I will admit to having two before the frosting ever touched them.
Thanks for sharing
10.05.09 @ 1:46 am
Plan B Mom, Could you kindly advise the weight of the choc bar that you used in this recepe? Thanks
10.05.09 @ 10:29 am
June - I use four one-ounce squares of chocolate. Good clarification!
10.07.09 @ 4:19 am
Thanks a million. Will certainly try it.