I used to make the best chocolate fudge brownies based on a recipe from Nestle’s Very Best Baking site, but they removed the recipe from the site in 2013. I wallowed in sorrow for years unable to find the recipe on another site. Yesterday I remembered that I had bookmarked the site on del.icio.us, and I was able to recall the URL in the Way Back Machine. Within 60 minutes, I was intoxicated in a chocolate paradise.
Instead of Nestle Choco Bake, I use baking chocolate. (My personal preference is Hershey’s Baking Chocolate.) This recipe produces brownies that are similar to a box mix but provides the mouthfeel and richness of a confection scratch-made with baking chocolate.
The original recipe enumerates three variations, but I recommend avoiding them. Instead, I flavor the brownies with the nut and liquor combinations at the end of this post. I sprinkle the batter with semi-sweet chocolate chips before baking. While the brownies are cooling, I powder them with confections sugar, which creates a delectable treat.
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 c. all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp. baking soda
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 2/3 c. granulated sugar
- 1/2 c. (1 stick) margarine
- 2 tbl. water (or liquor)
- 4 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 c. chopped nuts (see combinations below)
- 1/3 c. chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350° F
- Grease 11x8-in. or 9x9-in. baking pan
- Melt together sugar, butter and water on medium heat until just boiling
- Melt in chocolate and remove from heat while being careful not to burn the chocolate
- Allow chocolate mixture to cool enough that it will not cook (scramble) the eggs
- Stir in eggs, one at a time, until incorporated
- Stir in vanilla extract
- Combine flour, baking soda and salt
- Add flour mixture; stir well
- Stir in nuts if desired
- Pour batter into prepared baking pan
- Sprinkle batter with chocolate chips
- Bake for approximately 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out slightly sticky
- Remove from oven and sprinkle with confectioners sugar
Drunken combinations
- Replace water with bourbon and use pecans as the nuts
- Replace water with coffee liquor and use hazelnuts as the nuts
- Replace water with rye whiskey or brandy and use walnuts as the nuts