My FIRST Brownies

These days, with brownie mixes often being on sale, I don't know how many people make 'brownies from scratch', but...................... I couldn't resist putting this recipe on here.  It takes me way back to the late 60's when they were my only 'go to' and from my old Betty Crocker cookbook.  The 'addition' of the marshmallow layer and chocolate frosting came to me through Dolores S.  She'd make her brownies like this and treat us whenever there were R.S. doings or parties... she's a great cook/baker, period!

Ingredients:

• 4 ounces of unsweetened chocolate
• 2/3 cup shortening
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 and 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts, optional

• 2-3 cups miniature marshmallows, optional (spread on BAKED brownies)

 Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350° 
2. Grease 13x9x2-inch pan.  (If I'm after very 'neat-looking' cut brownies, I'll line the pan with foil-- one lengthwise piece going up and over each end for a 'grab tab', and another for the width and going up/over sides and grease its surface.)
3. Melt shortening and chocolate over low heat, or in microwave.
4. Mix in sugar, eggs and vanilla.
5. Stir in remaining ingredients and mix only until flour is incorporated.
6. Spread in prepared pan.
7. Bake for 30 minutes, or until sides begins to pull away from pan.  Do not over-bake.
8. Upon removal from the oven, turn oven off; scatter a layer of miniature marshmallows over hot top and put back into hot oven ONLY long enough for them to soften. 
9. Remove from oven and spread marshmallows.  Let cool for an hour.
10. Top the marshmallow layer with chocolate frosting (recipe follows)

Not that it's necessary by any means, but........in order to get clean/exact/sharp cuts for these brownies, I freeze them for a few hours and then remove the 'whole slab of brownies' to a wood cutting board.  While they are frozen, and with using a long/sharp knife, I can get the 'neat/sharp edges'. 

CHOCOLATE FROSTING Ingredients:

• 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter, softened
• 1/3 cup sifted Hershey's cocoa
• 1 and 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract.

Directions:

1.  Melt butter.  Stir in cocoa.

2.  Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating on med. speed until it is of spreading consistency.  Add more milk in very tiny quantities, if needed.  Stir in vanilla.  This makes about 1 cup of frosting, or just enough for a thin layer over the marshmallows.  If you like a thicker layer of frosting, double this recipe.

Brownies (These were my 'go to' in the 70's and 80's)

I know this recipe is a bit 'labor intensive', but,.........before I needed to spend more time milking cows and ending up making 'brownies from a box', this was my very best recipe.  It was given to me by Dolores (my aunt-in-law).  I'd get those little marshmallows put on the hot brownies, stick the pan 'into the cold' until they got firm before spreading the frosting on.  After that, I'd again put them 'back into the cold' until they were getting close to 'solid' before lifting that 'chocolate slab of goodness' out of the pan and, using my longest knife, cutting them on my cutting board-- being cold, their cut edges were so clean/sharp/pretty (party perfect)!    Seeing this recipe again is making me 'miss' them-- I'll have to do a re-run of these and find out if they taste as good as I remember! 
(Smiling!)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

INGREDIENTS:

4 oz. block of unsweetened chocolate*

2/3 cup shortening

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Heat oven to 350-degrees

2.  Grease/spray 9x13-inch pan, or line with aluminum foil with leaving 'lift out tabs' on edges.

3.  Melt shortening and chocolate over low heat.

4.  Mix in sugar, eggs and vanilla.

5.  Stir in remaining ingredients.

6.  Spread in greased pan, or on 'greased foil' liner.

7.  Bake about 30-min. (or until sides begin to pull away from the pan).

8.  When 'done', I immediately place a layer of miniature marshmallows over top

 of hot brownies (you can use large marshmallows if you snip them into thirds).

9.  I stick the pan back into the oven that's already been turned off-- I leave it in there

 only long enough for the marshmallows to get soft enough for me to spread them.  (If you leave them 'unspread', their layer will just be quite a bit higher.)

10.  I spread out the marshmallow layer and then stick the pan into the refrigerator (or freezer) just long enough for the marshmallow layer to get 'cold/stiff'.  Once that happens, I add a thin layer of butter/chocolate/powdered sugar frosting.

11. Sometimes, after the previous step, when I wanted 'party perfect' brownies, I'd lift the brownie slab out the pan by holding the foil "lift tabs" I'd left when I lined the pan and, atop their inverted pan, put them back into the freezer so that I could cut them after they were very cold/firm.  By cutting the cold brownies on my cutting board with my longest knife,  they really did look 'party perfect'!

* An extra HINT!  For rich chocolate desserts try Hershey's cocoa in recipes calling for baking chocolate by substituting 3 level tablespoons of cocoa + 1 tablespoon shortening or oil for 1 square (1 oz.) unsweetened baking chocolate.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Who'd have guessed anyone could/would make 'brownies' sound this complicated to make, huh!  (It's not really that bad, though.)  I'll post a picture of these when I make them.

Zucchini Brownies

It is not a mistake that this recipe does not call for eggs.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 and 1/2 cups white granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups shredded zucchini
• ....
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).  
2. Grease and flour a 9 x 13" baking pan/dish.
3. In a large bowl, mix together the oil, sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla, and the 2 cups shredded zucchini until well blended.
4. Combine the 2 cups flour, 1/2 cup cocoa, baking soda and salt.  Stir into the sugar mixture.
5. Fold in the walnuts (optional).  Instead of folding the walnuts into the stiff batter, I just sprinkled them on top before baking and then gently pressed them in a little bit with the back of a spatula.
6. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.
7. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the pre-heated oven until brownies spring back when gently touched, OR until a toothpick comes out clean.  Do not over bake.

FROSTING?????  IF you want to put a frosting on these, melt together 6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder and 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter. Set aside and let this cool.  In a medium bowl, blend together 2 cups powdered sugar, 1/4 cup milk, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.  Add this to the melted and cooled cocoa/butter mixture.  Mix/beat well until very smooth.  Spread over cooled brownies before cutting into squares.

Man-Catcher Brownies*

Oh, WAIT!!!-- I do not think these "Man-Catcher Brownies" are going to work for me, nor do I want them to!  Why?  I already have the man I want-- and have for almost 51 years, already!!!  

(Way back when, I didn't have nor need "magic brownies", but,... I, a 100% country girl, was born and raised on a working dairy farm and, even if he wasn't farm-born/raised, he... LIKED farms/farming!!!  So,... I guess,... my country way of life was "all the brownie" I needed!  ☺ )

Below:  Here he is (was) on his 67th birthday--  

looking darned good, I say!

I think the "country life" treated him quite well!

(Under that cap is a full head of "naturally" brown hair.)

Anyhow,... this recipe comes from Amy Westerman*.  She and her husband, Drew, live in Maumelle (just north of Little Rock), Arkansas.  She teaches high school Spanish and spends her free time cooking, baking and playing Roller Derby.  Seriously, ...this IS the name these brownies come with!!  And, there is a story* connected to this recipe, too-- I will put that story at the bottom of this post.  ☺

INGREDIENTS:

30 Kraft caramels, unwrapped
2/3 cup evaporated milk, divided
1 of 15.25-oz. box German chocolate cake mix (For a deeper/darker chocolate brownie, I may try a fudge chocolate cake mix the next time I make these!)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans OR walnuts

DIRECTIONS:

1.   Heat oven to 350-degrees and line the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
2.   Melt caramels with only 1/3 cup of the evaporated milk in a small saucepan, stirring mixture occasionally; set sauce aside.
3.   Stir together cake mix, melted butter and the remaining 1/3 cup evaporated milk to form a dough.
4.  Put 1 and 1/3 cups of the dough into the pan by putting dabs of this all over the parchment paper like this and then, with dampened fingers, gently press dough clumps down until entire pan bottom is evenly covered...

Yes, press it down into an even layer like this...

5.  Bake until puffed but not cooked through-- about 7 minutes, like this...

6.   Remove from oven and pour the slightly cooled and set aside "melty" caramel sauce evenly over the top, like this...

7.   Sprinkle chocolate chips over caramel in an even layer...

8.   Top with remaining dough, crumbled into bits and scattered evenly like this...

9.   Sprinkle with chopped nuts...

10. Return to oven.
11. Bake until brownies are puffy and set-- 11-12 minutes more (or, according to how your oven bakes)...

12. Cool completely.
13. Then lift out of pan by holding the edges of the parchment paper... 

Cut into squares...

SERVES 16 

(These are not a thick/puffy kind of brownie.)

Because of the caramel layer in these bars, they will be less sticky and more chewy if kept a little on the "cool" side.

+ + + + + + + +

Below is the word-for-word description and the accompanying story that goes with the above  recipe.  It comes from Pages 82 and 84 of The Ladies Home Journal / February 2014.

* "'This dessert is so good that it's prompted at least two proposals.  I can't promise a wedding, but y'all be careful.  Don't give these to just anyone.'-- Amy Westerman.  (Amy admits, "I make one addition to my mom's famous recipe: extra caramel.")

"When I was 7 my mother Susan, met my future stepfather, Larry.  They had been dating for about a month when she made him a batch of caramel nut brownies-- a recipe she'd come up with herself.  Larry took one bite and blurted, 'Oh my gosh, I love you!'  It was the first time he'd said anything like that, and it was sort of a joke-- but then he followed up with, 'Actually, I really do love you, and I've been wanting to tell you that.'  After they got engaged, Larry renamed the recipe 'Man-Catcher Brownies'.

"Mom taught me how to bake when I was 12, and these brownies were one of the first recipes she shared with me.  'Remember, Amy, whoever eats these will fall in love with you,' she said.  I knew she was teasing, but the brownies still took on magical properties in my mind.  My friends and I would have sleepovers and bake batches of them for boys we had crushes on.  Sometimes we'd be sneaky about it and bring the brownies to the whole class, just so that a particular guy would be sure to eat one.  When one of us had a steady boyfriend, we'd make up a nice little bag for him and tie it with a boy.  Larry was on to our schemes.  'Those man-catcher brownies work, so y'all be careful,' he'd say.  'Don't give 'em to anyone who won't treat you right for the rest of your life.'

"In fact, there was one boyfriend of mine in junior high who wasn't so nice to me, so I dumped him.  The next day he came up to me and said, 'I know we broke up, but my mom really wants the recipe for those brownies.'  I told him, 'Nope.  That's for boyfriends only.'

"I made these brownies for my husband, Drew, early in our relationship.  I'd say the recipe definitely worked its magic, since we've been together for 11 years.  He'll never admit it was the brownies.  But I know better."

+ + + + + +

My husband's comments, with a smile, after he read this story?  "Hm-m-m-m,...tricky women!"

Fudge Nut Bars (Fudge Jumble Bars?)

Goin' to a potluck picnic today, and these are going with me!

If you like cookies and fudge, you will like this bar recipe.  It's a little "putzy" to make, but it's a favorite!  (And, ...it makes a WHOLE LOT of bars!!!)

Originally, and many years ago,  I clipped this recipe from the Agri-View farm paper.  It was submitted by a mother who was planning to sell a "family cookbook" in memory of her daughter who was killed while driving "back to college".  It was such a sad story, but I loved how the mother said they'd had so many special times while cooking and baking together.



INGREDIENTS for the bottom 'cookie dough' layer--

• 1 cup butter (room temperature)
• 2 cups light brown sugar, firmly packed
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3 cups quick-cooking rolled oats (I use old-fashioned oats)
• 2 and 1/2 cups sifted flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS for making the bottom 'cookie dough' layer:

Cream together the cup of butter and brown sugar.  Mix in eggs (one at a time) and the 2 teaspoons vanilla.  Sift together four, baking soda and salt; stir in rolled oats.  Now add the sifted mixture of flour, baking soda and salt.  Stir only long enough to incorporate.  SET  THIS ASIDE while you prepare the 'fudge filling' below.
~~~~

INGREDIENTS for fudge filling:

• 1 of 12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chopped nuts 

DIRECTIONS for making the fudge filling:

In a saucepan over boiling water (or in microwavable bowl), mix together chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, butter and salt.  Stir until chocolate chips are melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove from heat; stir in the vanilla and chopped nuts* (see my note at the bottom).  IF you do use the microwave for this, please check and stir after each ONE-minute of time.

~~~~

Now!!! ...The instructions for putting it all together:

Spread about 2/3 of the 'cookie dough' batter in bottom of a generously greased or sprayed 15.5 x 10.5-inch jelly roll pan. (It won't seem like there's enough dough to cover the pan, but eventually it's accomplished.  In fact, I have better luck if I begin by dropping very little globs of this dough in all different areas of the greased pan before starting to spread it out with my "wetted" fingers.)

Carefully cover that layer with the fudge filling.  Now, using the remaining 1/3 of the 'cookie dough', take tiny pieces (1/2" size?) of it and drop it on the fudge layer as evenly as you can.  Once I put the little dabs of reserved "cookie dough" mixture on top, I use two little "pointy" kinds of things and gently spread the "dabs" out... just a little... it will end up looking a lot like this, and have SOME "bare spots" showing the fudge layer...

Bake in 350-degree oven for about 25-30 minutes, or until the top 'droppings' are lightly browned.  In my oven, it took just 25 minutes and came out looking like this...

Cool completely before cutting.  

Makes almost 6 dozen bars.

Below:   I put a sheet of parchment paper between each layer of bars.  Cover 'em up...these are all ready to go to today's potluck picnic!

* I like to keep the nuts out when I'm making the fudge layer and then gently press them evenly into the fudge layer once that layer is spread onto the "cookie dough" layer.  AFTER the nuts are "in place", I add the dabs of dough over all.)  

Black Bean Brownies*

I like!...

With just a package of Brownie Mix AND 
a can of black beans,... 

you're 'in business' for having a basic brownie!!!!
(Yes, skip the oil-- skip the eggs.)

I ended up with a very MOIST brownie...

WOWSERIE!  A package of Brownie Mix and a can of black beans-- 

on your mark, get set, and... GO!!!      

 What a simple way to add a load of protein and fiber 

to something so many of us already like!

 You won't believe how simple this is, and how 'hidden' 

(how 'not there') the beans will be! 

 If YOU don't tell, even a 'bean hater' won't know.

Ingredients:  (NO oil, NO eggs!)

• 1 package (box) of your favorite Brownie Mix**
• 1 of 14 oz. can black beans, drained, rinsed, and pureed with...
• Water (see the directions below).
• IF you want to, you can sprinkle things on top of the batter in the pan, or stir 'stuff' into it.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350-degrees.

1. Open the can of black beans.  Drain in a colander.  Run water over beans until they are 'rinsed clean'.
2. Put the rinsed beans back into their can. 
3. Fill the can of 'rinsed beans' to the top with fresh water.
4. In a blender, puree the beans/water until smooth.
5. Add the puree mixture to the brownie mix and stir until incorporated.
6. Sprinkle whatever you want on top (or, add nothing!).  Because some like nuts, and some don't, I did half-and-half with the 'additions'... like this...

7.  Pour batter into and bake in a greased pan as directed on the box.  Test for doneness with a toothpick.  With my oven, I added just a couple of minutes to the baking time.  (Do not bake until they are 'too dry'.)  Cool thoroughly before cutting.

*Because I had only a larger 26.5 ounce can of black beans on hand and didn't want to use just half-a-can, I used TWO packages of Brownie Mix and followed the recipe directions as listed above.   (To make up for the 1.5 ounce less liquid in comparison to using two of the 14 oz. cans of black beans, I added 1.5 oz. water.) By doing what I did, in using two packages of Brownie Mix and this larger can  of beans, I ended up ADDING 42 grams of protein, 36 grams of fiber to these BROWNIES!   Imagine that!!!!!!!

**You know how sometimes the Brownie Mix (even cake mixes) are a bit 'lumpy' in their bag?  I like to run the 'dry lumpy mixture' through my sifting screen so it's smooth before I add liquid things to it.  (I am sure this is not necessary, but.... it's just my preference to do it like this.)

This recipe is 'around' on the Internet (there are even some 'from scratch' recipes).  Molly Crosby (wife of Green Bay Packer kicker Mason Crosby) brought this to the Living with Amy show on Green Bay's  Fox 11.  

These came out VERY moist and fudgy!!

Fudge'y Rocky Road Bars

These remind me quite a bit of bars made years ago by Dolores (Grant's wife)...

Making these calls for more 'work?' than opening a box of brownie mix* and adapting it, but...

But,...

...I think, for certain
'special occasions',... 
worth it!

INGREDIENTS for CHOCOLATE BOTTOM LAYER:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 of 1 oz. squares unsweetened chocolate (semi-sweet would work, too)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 eggs

DIRECTIONS for bottom layer:
In large saucepan, melt butter and chocolate.  Add remaining ingredients and mix well.  Spread in a greased and floured 9x13" pan, like this...  

Set aside while you prepare top layer.

INGREDIENTS FOR TOP LAYER:
6 oz. cream cheese, softened (set other 2 oz. cream cheese aside for icing)
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
----
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped nuts
----
2 cups miniature marshmallows (these will be put on after bars bake for 25-30 minutes).

DIRECTIONS for top layer:
In a bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, flour, butter, egg and vanilla; mix until smooth and fluffy.  Drop in dollops over fudgy bottom layer, then gently spread until it covers entirely...

Sprinkle chocolate chips over top...

Sprinkle chopped nuts over chips...

Bake at 350-degrees for 25-30 minutes.  (I baked mine for 27 minutes.)   WHILE THIS IS BAKING, prepare the icing as follows:

INGREDIENTS for Fudge Icing:
1/4 cup softened butter
1 of 1 oz. square unsweetened chocolate  (semi-sweet will work)
2 oz. cream cheese (the part that was previously set aside)
1/4 cup milk
3 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

DIRECTIONS for Fudge Icing:
In a large sauce pan over medium heat, melt butter, chocolate, cream cheese and milk.  Whisk together as it melts.  Stir in the sifted powdered sugar and vanilla (add additional milk if icing is too thick to be 'pour'able.  (Set this prepared icing aside until bars come out of the oven-- that is,  AFTER the marshmallows have been 'ovened' for the two minutes.)
----------------
After the 25-30 minutes of baking the bottom fudgy layer, remove from oven and sprinkle marshmallows evenly over top... return this to oven for only two minutes.

After the two minutes of being back into the oven, remove and IMMEDIATELY pour prepared 'pour'able icing evenly over the marshmallows...

When whole top is covered with the 'pour'able icing, cool bars thoroughly...

Store left-overs covered tightly and in the refrigerator. (I put four squares of these in a small container, and freeze.)

This recipe came from my late mother-in-law's collection; the bars made with this recipe earned first place and was submitted by Carla Brede and was published in a booklet entitled "Recipes from 1988 Dairy Foods Promotion Class".  

*  I'm thinking one could take a box of store-bought brownie mix, prepare it as directed, pour that batter into a greased/floured (sprayed?) 9x13" pan, set it aside and then follow this recipe from the point of mixing/adding the cream cheese layer to the layer of unbaked brownie mix, and onward.  (TOO MANY words, but....)

Gluten-Free Fudgey Brownies (VERY chocolatey)

 IF you need gluten-free and sometimes CRAVE a taste of deep (strong) chocolate, this could work for you.  I prefer to keep these in a freezer container (in the freezer) and get just one out...one at a time...one at a time 'as needed'.

Some would say the 'chocolatey'  is too strong-- but, for a 'little fix' when  desperate times call for desperate measures... just sayin'!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 oz. unsweetened chocolate
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 egg*
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 tablespoons coconut flour, packed.  (I added one teaspoon, packed.)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips  (roughly chopped, or left 'as is')
• 3/4 cup copped nuts, optional

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Melt butter and chocolate together in bowl over boiling water.
3. Add honey to bring down temperature before adding the egg.
4. Whisk in egg.
5. Combine coconut flour, salt and baking soda.  Add to the above and stir 'just' to combine.
6. Fold in chocolate chips and nuts (optional).
7. Pour into a well-greased 8x8 baking dish.
8. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.  Do not overbake.  (Mine took almost 30 minutes.)

These brownies cut best when they are COLD.

*If you like brownies that are more cake-like, add an extra egg

Where's the MILK!?!?

This recipe was adapted from:  "glutenfreefix.com"

Brownies, warm, or cooled...........

IF you like 'very chocolatey' (fudgey) chocolate brownies, these are great!

WHOA!!!!--  If you google 'recipe brownie', you will likely come up with  11 MILLION, 3 HUNDRED THOUSAND websites to choose from.  So, take your pick-- or, keep the recipe you already have and like.   I don't claim it to be better than every other brownie in the world, but the recipe I do like is shown  below in this posting...

By lining your baking pan/dish with foil/parchment paper that has 'lift edges' (as pictured below in this post), it is super easy to lift brownies out of the pan while they are still warm.  Almost any frosting put on the top of a 'warm one' will quickly soften and run over the 'cliffs' like this....

OR, as shown at the beginning of this post, let the brownies cool and frost them with the same frosting for this effect...

TIP:  If you don't want your brownies to be cake-like, don't use an electric mixer-- the hand-stirring method makes a more fudge-like brownie.  Just one bowl and a spatula/wooden spoon will do.

8x8 OR 9x9-inch baking pan/dish (I used 9x9-inch)

350° oven

INGREDIENTS: 

• 4 oz. unsweetened chocolate (I measured out and used 4 oz. of Ghirardelli 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate chips)
• 1/2 cup melted, or very soft butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, as is.
• 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional) 

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spray OR grease/flour an 8×8 or 9×9 inch baking pan/dish.  IF it is important to you that you end up with clean/sharply cut edges on the brownies, prepare pan as in the following picture so you can lift them out after baking.   It maybe isn't necessary, but I also lightly spray the parchment paper.

After baking, you can cool them for a while in the dish and then, using the paper edges, lift them out, put 'em on a flat surface  (a cutting board, etc.), frost them and put into the freezer for about two hours (today, I put these on our -9 degree porch for an hour).  Cut with long knife........ and, they'll end up all perfect/pretty!

Back to the main directions...

• In medium/large microwave-safe bowl, melt unsweetened chocolate (check and stir after each 30-seconds).
• Add butter and sugar to the melted unsweetened chocolate and stir until well blended.
• Add slightly beaten eggs and vanilla; stir until evenly blended. 
• Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; stir this dry combination into the liquid mixture.  Stir gently and only long enough to fully incorporate.
• Stir in semi-sweet chocolate chips.
• Stir in chopped walnuts, if desired.
• Spread evenly into the prepared (sprayed, or greased/floured) pan. 
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until toothpick comes out with just a hint of a 'crumb' sticking to it.  (Toothpick should not be 'covered with brown', and it should not come out totally 'clean'.)  
• Cool before cutting into squares. (Or, lift out while warm by using 'parchment paper or foil liner with lift tabs' and cut as directed above.)

Frosting (more of a ganache):

Mix together the following...

• 3 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips (melted)
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature 
• If you want the frosting to be thinner, carefully add milk/cream-- only 1 teaspoon at a time.

Frost brownies while they are still warm IF you want this to run over the top and sides. 

Frost when cool IF you want it to stay on the top, as is usual.  OR,.......... don't frost, at all!

It's -9 degrees here right now, with a windchill of  -20!  Hot chocolate (brown!) and brownies (another brown!) seem so right for today.

Farm Journal's Brownies for a Crowd

Just the mention of Farm Journal and my mind/memory go back to when I was growing up.  Each time the magazine would come, it was fun to look at their recipe section to see what good cooks (besides my mom!), were making.  I don't know how/when the recipe section was discontinued, but I do know it seems like AGES since I've 'gone down that lane'.  My memory was jogged while I was in Qualheim's True Value yesterday to buy milk replacer and mineral for our  cattle-- there on a rack were recipe books filled with old recipes (some dating back to 1931) from the food section of the Farm Journal's I remember.

One of the many popular recipes 'from those days' is for this large pan of brownies.  My husband (these days, my main tester person) said he likes these because they seem like a 'cross' between brownies and chocolate cake.  He likes that they aren't overly 'heavy' with chocolate flavor, something others wouldn't like.  What do I think?  I like them-- they are moist, they have chocolate in 'em and, as a result, they are dark brown!  This will be an easy kind of keeper recipe for me.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup regular margarine (my choice is to use butter, which I did)
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 eggs, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 and 1/2 cups of chocolate syrup* (the recipe I followed for 'copy cat' Hershey's chocolate syrup is at bottom of this post)
• 1 cup PLUS 1 tablespoon sifted flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS:

1. Beat the margarine (butter!) with the sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Beat in eggs, two (one) at a time.
3. Add vanilla.  Mix very well.
4. Stir in chocolate syrup.
5. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt; stir this into the chocolate mixture.  Mix only until well incorporated.
6. Add chopped nuts.
7. Pour into well-greased 15½ x 10½ x 1" jelly roll pan, and spread evenly.  (For beauty/ease in cutting and transferring to a serving plate, I prefer to spray pan very lightly, line with foil or parchment paper and spray that... and,... then, pour batter in-- yep!, after all that 'monkey business', they easily lift out to cutting board when cooled.)
8. Bake in moderate oven (350°) for 22-25 minutes, or until slight imprint remains when touched very lightly with finger.  (With my oven, it took almost 27 minutes.)
9. Remove pan to cooling rack (or to a cold porch!), and allow to cool.

Old-fashioned Chocolate Icing:
Meanwhile, ...even if this recipe sounds 'weird', for a thin sort of 'old-fashioned' kind of smooth/self-leveling icing, do this:

1. Combine 6 tablespoons of margarine (I used butter), 6 tablespoons of milk (equals 1/3 cup plus 2 teaspoons), and 1 cup sugar in a 3 qt. saucepan. Stir until very blended. 
2. Bring to a boil and boil for 30 seconds (I boiled mine for 2 minutes).
3. Add 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips; remove from heat and stir to melt.
4. Continue stirring until mixture thickens slightly and cools down a bit (For this, I used an electric hand mixer and beat it for close to five minutes.) 
5. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla, stir well. 
6. Pour icing over cooled pan of Brownies.  Cool all, again, until icing sets up.  Cut into 2.5" x 1" bars-- makes 3 dozen.

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I adapted a recipe from CopyKat to make this Hershey's Chocolate Syprup as below: 

First, why would I bother making my own when it's so readily available in store-bought containers?  Because the first ingredient on their label these days is HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP-- that's a good enough reason for me to get mixin' and boilin'!  Don't get me wrong, it isn't that I refuse EVERYTHING that has 'that kind of corn syrup' in it, but I try not to add it to anything if there's another choice.  So, having explained that, here goes....

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Hershey's cocoa
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 and 3/4 cups water
• 2 dashes salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions:

1. Combine cocoa, sugar and salt in 3 quart saucepan.
2. Add water, and whisk until very smooth/blended.
3. Bring this mixture to a boil, stirring/watching carefully.
4. Allow it to boil for 3 minutes.  Be careful/watchful because this can easily boil over.
5. Remove from heat; after it cools a bit, add vanilla and refrigerate.  It will thicken some more as it cools.

Versatile Brownies (Add what you like!)

Serves about 16


INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

You can add 1-2 cups of various chips (semi-sweet chocolate, white, butterscotch, peanut butter) or raisins, or chopped maraschino cherries, or chopped nuts, or M&M's, or Reese's pieces, or miniature marshmallows, or chopped candy bars, or ???.  Add whatever you like!

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Preheat oven to 350-degrees.

2.  Grease an 8-inch square pan or line with foil.

3.  In a medium bowl, combine melted butter and cocoa and stir until cocoa is dissolved.

4.  Add sugar and mix well.

5.  Add eggs one at a time and stir until well combined.

6.  Stir in vanilla, flour and salt until you no longer see any flour (do not over mix).

7.  Fold in "your favorite additions"!

8.  Spread in pan and bake for approximately 25 minutes.

9.  DO NOT OVER-BAKE-- your brownies will come out dry.  Adjust time/temp according for your oven.  If you do the knife/toothpick test, it should come out WITH MOIST crumbs, not totally clean.

10.  Cool completely before cutting into squares.

11.  For vegetarians, don't use marshmallows.

12.  For double recipe, bake in 9x13-inch pan and add 5 minutes to baking time.

Paula's Quick Brownies

Paula gave me this ingredient list for the brownies she makes.  Quick 'n easy... and good.

INGREDIENTS:

2 sticks softened butter
2 cups sugar
4 whole eggs, slightly beaten
1 and 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
1/3 cup cocoa
1 and 1/2 cups flour
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Cream together the butter and sugar.  Add eggs.  Mix.  Add the baking powder, salt and cocoa.  Stir in.  Lastly, add the flour and nuts (optional).  Stir only long enough to incorporate.

Bake in greased 9x13-inch pan at 350-degrees for about 30 minutes.  Check for doneness with a toothpick.  (Don't over bake.)