No Mixer Required.

For Christmas my parents bought me the most AMAZING mixer and I was excited to start writing this blog. See...

It's Awesome!!  But it had some problems and, seven months later, it's still dead.

So I thought about sharing something other than baking like these crazy bleu cheese and bacon stuffed burgers,

these refreshing jar salads made mostly with local produce and using homemade dressing,

or this mouth watering slow cooked pork ramen.

But this is a baking blog.  So Thomas (the most amazing 5 year old ever) and I are going to make brownies.  No mixer required.  I started baking with my dad when I was a little girl.  The first job I remember him handing off to me was creaming the butter and sugar for Toll House chocolate cookies - by hand.  Thanks Dad!   In addition to those grueling cookies, we often made the 1974 Joy of Cooking version of pancakes, and Baker's Baking Chocolate One Bowl Brownies.  These brownies taste like home to me.  They are rich and fudgey just the way a brownie should be.  Also, one bowl!!!  (Unless you're a terrible egg cracker... then two bowls!)

So let's talk about simple, fudgey, chewy brownies:

Hint one:  Don't skimp on your ingredients!
Inferior chocolate provides inferior chocolate flavor. That being said, for an easily accessible chocolate, the unsweetened Baker's Chocolate that you find in almost any grocery store baking aisle will be just fine.

Hint Two:  Don't burn the chocolate!
The Baker's one bowl brownie recipe allows you to melt the butter and chocolate in the microwave. Be careful if you do this!!!  Only microwave it for 30 seconds at a time and stir with each break.  The second there are no chunks of chocolate, take it out of the microwave and let it cool.  Personally, I suggest putting a pot of water on the stove and putting your heatproof glass bowl right on the water to melt the chocolate and butter.  This way you're constantly stirring it, you have to pay attention to it, and you're less likely to burn it.

Hint Three:  Don't scramble the eggs!
When your chocolate and butter are melted, remove the bowl from the heat source and let that stuff cool.  How gross would it be to crack eggs into it and have them scramble and get all chunky?!  Ew!

Once cooled, add the sugar, vanilla, and salt.  Fold them into the chocolate.

Next add the eggs and stir.  Notice that my eggs are not cooking in this picture?!  Let the chocolate cool!  (If you are bad at cracking eggs it is at this point you might want to break out that second bowl.)

Finally, fold in the flour.

Batter up!!  All finished.

Hint Four:  Cook the brownies all the way!
They will start to smell amazing several minutes before they're finished.  Don't open the oven!  You can turn the oven light on and stare, but leave them alone.  Check them after 30 minutes.

(And make sure you have more than two toothpicks.  Oops!!)

Your toothpick, after being inserted into the center of the brownies, should come out completely clean.  I repeat, there should be no chocolate on the toothpick!!  Under cooked brownies sound delicious, but they stay together poorly - these brownies are just as fudgey and chewy when completely cooked.  I promise.  Once you get a clean toothpick, remove the brownies from the oven and set somewhere to cool.  

This is the hardest part:

Hint Five:  Let the brownies cool completely!  

I mean it.  Walk away from the chocolate.  Do NOT be like me and pick at the tops of the brownies. Just walk away!  

Once the brownies are cool, you should be able to carefully lift the parchment paper out of the pan with the brownies in tact.  Then cut and enjoy! 

My dad and I used to sift powdered sugar over the brownies... I highly recommend this.  (I recommend adding nuts too, but that's personal preference.)

One Bowl Brownies

4 oz unsweet chocolate

¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) butter

2 cups sugar

1 tsp vanilla

¼ tsp salt (or just a pinch!)

3 eggs at room temperature

1 cup flour

1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350°.  Grease a 13 x 9” baking pan and line it with parchment paper.  Grease the lined pan.  Put chocolate and butter in double boiler and stir until melted.  (Alternatively, microwave chocolate and butter for 2 minutes or until completely melted, stirring every 20 seconds.)  Stir until chocolate is melted, remove from heat source, and let cool.  Sir in the sugar, vanilla, and salt.  Stir in the eggs.  Add flour and nuts.  Mix well.

Bake 30 – 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

HAPPY BAKING!!