Classic Chewy Brownies

Equipment:

13 X 9 inch Baking Pan

Brownies from scratch in less than 30 minutes? Here’s your recipe! No melting chocolate in a double boiler. Just whip the ingredients together, pour into a parchment lined pan and bake for 20 minutes. To give them a more elegant look (if you want that in a brownie), you can dust them with powdered sugar.

I have been trying several brownie recipes trying to get one that makes what I believe a brownie should be: chewy with a shiny top with just the right amount of crackle, a rich chocolate flavor without being too rich and a chewy not cakey base with edges even chewier. My mom always made brownies from a box, using Duncan Hines, which were always thin and chewy.

I tried two different recipes, with less than pleasing result, and read about another two dozen recipes before deciding to try this recipe. I found it researching newspaper archives. This chewy brownie recipe came from a reader who sent it to the food editor of The Daily Dispatch in Moline, Illinois, where food editor Liz Meegan published this recipe in 1986. The brownies are about ½ inch thick with extra chewy edges and corners. Passed the test with my son who believes they are perfect in every way!

To ensure I don’t use too much flour, I spoon flour into a measuring cup and level it off with a knife. To ensure a quality taste, I used Ghiardelli premium baking 100% unsweetened cocoa.

In a mixing bowl, combine oil, sugar and vanilla. Add eggs and beat well.

In a separate small bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Add dry ingredients to wet mixture.

Pour into a parchment lined 9 x13 inch pan. Brownies may also be poured onto a greased parchment lined cookie sheet.

Bake 20-25 minutes.