Chocolate Brownies - YUM!

There are those that would argue that THEY make the best chocolate brownies around, but I think mine are best...and so do LOTS of other people. The kids, DH and co-workers from my PK (pre-kid) days request them ALL THE TIME.

This recipe is from an OLD Five Roses cookbook that my mom still has. There are LOTS of brownie recipes out there, but IMHO this one is the best. And don't pay any mind to the NEWER version of this recipe that appears in a more recent Five Roses Cookbook. They've reduced the amount of butter in the new recipe. Don't do that!

Here's what you'll need:

2 squares (2 oz) of unsweetened chocolate (make sure it's unsweetened - trust me!), melted
1/2 cup butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup all purpose flour

Oh! And one cute kid! Tell the cute kid that it's a surprise and to tell Dad to stay out of the kitchen. Tell him NOT to tell Dad you're baking brownies BEFORE he tells him it's a surprise...yeah...not so much a surprise...

O.K., so, first things first: Get that cute kid to grease up your pan for you. Hey. it's a dirty job, but somebody's gotta do it...might as well be him - LOL!














While he's doing that, melt your two squares of chocolate. Now, if I was a purist, I'd melt it on the stove in a double boiler, but who the heck has time for that? Just do what I do and put it in the microwave for a minute. Take it out and give it a stir. If it's not all melted, pop it back in for another 30 seconds. That ought to do it. And if not, try another 30 seconds. Whatever you do, DON'T burn the chocolate or you'll have to start over...burnt chocolate is ICKY!

Once the chocolate is all melted and slightly cooled, add the butter and give it a stir!










Then add in that cup of sugar. See, this is why I said make sure you use UNSWEETENED chocolate. There is PLENTY of sweet in that sugar! Mix the sugar, butter and chocolate till it's one big gooey mess!


















Then, add your two large eggs...I guess (technically) that you're supposed to beat them first, but I never have and my brownies are always AMAZING, so there you have it! Oh, and before you actually mix in the eggs, don't forget to laugh because they look like eyeballs in your bowl - LOL!
Once the eggs are well blended, go ahead and add your 1/2 cup of flour. Get the kid to mix it in.
And here's the finished product, before baking:
My pan is dark, so I bake them at 325 F for about 22 minutes. If you are using a lighter pan, you could probably turn the temperature up to 350 F. If you like your brownies a little drier, cook them for up to 25 minutes. We're a chewy brownie family so 22 minutes does the trick.

My apologies for the lack of a picture after the cooking process is complete. As soon as these things were cooled off, they were pretty much gone! I'm sure you'll find the same when you bake them at your house! Enjoy!