The Search For The Perfect ... Brownie

There are lots of different ways to make lots of different foods, so I thought I'd take it upon myself to try different variations of some of my favorite foods to try to find the PERFECT one. And what better place to start than with brownies?

Looking in my pantry today, my sweet tooth started itching and unfortunately there was nothing in there to scratch it. A box of unsweetened chocolate caught my eye and I immediately thought, oooooo brownies! So I turned to my trusty computer to find a recipe and was dismayed when 100 different variations popped up, all with different ingredients. Unsweetened chocolate, bittersweet chocolate, or cocoa powder? White or brown sugar? Walnuts or pecans? Mocha? Mint? Cheesecake? Ahhhhhhhhhh! So I thought I'd start with the most basic of basic recipes, the one on the back of my Baker's chocolate box. Here's what it said:

For the ingredients: Unsweetened chocolate, butter, sugar, eggs, flour and vanilla.

In a microwave safe dish heat the butter and chocolate on high for 2 minutes, or until the chocolate is melted. Remove from the microwave and stir until chocolate is melted. Let it cool a little bit. Yes, those are photos of a bowl of chocolate and butter. What else do you need in life?

Mix the sugar in with the chocolate, then add the eggs and vanilla. Be careful not to scramble the eggs if your chocolate is still warm. Add in the flour and stir. (I also added a pinch of salt because I used unsalted butter.) Pour the batter into a 9x13 inch pan lined with foil and sprayed with oil. An easy way to line your pan is to fit the foil on the bottom of the pan first before setting it in the inside. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with fudgy crumbs. Do not overbake!

Cool the brownies before slicing. To slice, pull the brownies out of the pan using the foil. Since these brownies are pretty moist I found the easiest way to cut them is with a pizza cutter. Cut the brownies in big or small pieces depending on how much you want to indulge in. :)

Mmmmm, nothing beats a warm brownie. Except maybe a warm brownie with a scoop of ice cream on top. Overall this was a pretty good recipe for a standard brownie. Nice and moist, chewy, with that light crust on top. And the ingredients are pretty basic, so as long as you have the chocolate they're a snap to make. (Pretty instant gratification as far as baking goes.) I like a deeper chocolate flavor though, so I guess the search will continue. But it was a delicious start!

Chocolate Brownies
recipe courtesy of Baker's Chocolate

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 1/2 sticks of butter or margarine (3/4 cup)
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup flour
(A pinch of salt if you use unsalted butter)

In a microwave heat chocolate and butter in a microwave safe bowl for 2 minutes on high or until butter is melted. Remove the bowl and stir until the chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Stir in sugar. Add eggs and vanilla, stir and be sure not to scramble the eggs. Stir in flour (and salt). Pour batter into a 9x13 pan lined with foil and greased. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until just set and a toothpick comes out with fudgy crumbs. Cool and enjoy!

For the purposes of this search I will not be changing any of the recipes I try. But that doesn't mean you can't! Feel free to add in nuts or different flavorings.