Not to be confused with blond brownies, which is a ridiculous concept. "Hey, did you see my friend's new hair colour? It's called blond brunette." Therefore, let it be known that brownies, in my world, are brown, the colour of chocolate. For the record, white chocolate contains no chocolate. In case you were wondering. So without further ado, I bring the recipe that has been changed over the years several times. (Apparently our taste buds change as we age.) It has met the approval of friends in three countries. (Not that I'm bragging.)
1 1/2 cups margarine
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup cocoa
4 large eggs
1 tbsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups white flour
- Melt margarine and sugar in a microwave or on the stove. Remove from heat source. Did you know that the shiny tops on the brownies come from having the sugar completely melted? If you don't melt the sugar granules, the tops of your brownies will be dull. Then it's just soggy cake.
- Stir in cocoa. If it's not cooperating, use a whisk. Lumps of cocoa are not fun to eat.
- Add eggs and vanilla. If the mixture is too hot, you will have to let it cool for a bit or you'll cook some the egg white. Chunks of cooked egg whites are not our friends.
- Stir in the flour until just mixed.
- Pour into a 9"x13" pan that has been lined with parchment paper. (You'll thank me later.)
- Bake at 350° until it's done, anywhere from 35 to 45 minutes. If the contents of the pan jiggles, it's not done. If a toothpick comes out clean, you've gone too far. There will be some batter on a toothpick but the toothpick will not be completely coated. Hope that helps. Overcooking is the easiest way to mess up a great brownie recipe.
- If you can, let the brownies cool before cutting them. I guess if you're eating them all yourself in the privacy of your own home, it won't matter what they look like. If you are letting other people see them, let them cool completely. Just trying to save you some embarrassment.
