Brownie Recipe

Hi B.,

I haven't read all the postings but I agree with one of the ladies who said to use the cheapest brownie mix (i.e. Walmart or Kroger brand) or when the brand name ones are one sale for like a buck I stock up!! Then, they key is don't over-bake them. If the box says 28 mins. for a 9x13 I always do 2-3 mins. under that. And I, too, always add mix-ins! I use chocolate chips, white/chocolate swirls, peanut butter/choc. swirls, Hershey's syrup, whatever you want! And if you want thick, cakier brownies try making two boxes at a time in one 9x13 pan. We like them fudgy so I don't do that but my sister in law does. And everyone loves my brownies and can't believe I use the store brand! LOL!!
good luck and let us know what happens!

go to www.wilton.com and then click on "recipes" once that window opens up,do a search for brownies. It sounds like you might leave them in the oven too long! Also mix them up by hand and do not overbeat.

I guess I am the only person who makes brownies from scratch. I use the Joy of Cooking recipe which requires:
Heat over gentle heat or in microwave stiring frequently:
4 oz baking chocolate (unsweetened)
1/2 cup or 1 stick of butter
Beat well:
4 eggs
add:
2 cups of sugar
and the melted chocolate/butter mix
stir in:
1 cup of flour
2 teaspoons of vanilla
1 cup of chopped nuts (optional)

Bake in 9x13 greased pan at 350 degrees for 23 to 28 minutes. Do not overbake!
If you are going to use a box, I found the Betty Crocker best, still don't overbake or you will get stones.

Here you go...taken from "Keep Your Fork" - my favorite cookbook!!!

Best Brownies
Ingredients:
1 cup margarine, softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons baking cocoa (I use Hershey's)
Dash of salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine margarine and sugar, beating until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla, mixing well. Combine flour, cocoa and salt to the sugar mixture, mixing well. Spoon into a greased 13x9-inch pan. Bake for 30 minutes. While warm, spread icing over brownies. Cool & cut into squares. Yield: 2 dozen.

Icing:
1/4 cup hot water
2 tablespoons margarine
3 tablespoons cocoa
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups confectioner's sugar

Combine hot water, margarine and cocoa, blending well. Add vanilla and confectioners sugar, mixing until well blended. Spread over warm brownies.

Enjoy!! I have made these for a work luncheon as well as at Christmas and had RAVE reviews both times...I hope you like them..let me know what you think!

Kathleen

hersheys best brownies!!!this recipe has never failed me!1 cup butter or margarine, 2 cups sugar, 2 tsp. vanilla extract, 4 eggs, 3/4 cup hersheys cocoa, 1 cup flour, 1/2 tsp. baking powder, 1/4 tsp. salt, 1 cup chopped nuts(optional)!heat oven to 350 degrees.grease 13/9 baking pan. in med. bowl place melted butter. stir in sugar & vanilla. add eggs. 1 at a time, beating well after each egg. add cocoa. beat until well blended. add flour, baking powder, & salt. stir in nuts. pour batter into prepared pan. bake 30-35 minutes. cool! cut into bars. 36 brownies! ENJOY!!!!

I found an awesome recipe from Taste of Home, everytime I make them I get asked for the recipe. It is so simple here it is. 1 pkg 3.9 oz instant chocolate pudding
1 pkg 18 1/4 oz chocolate cake mix
2 cups 12 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
Prepare pudding according to package directions.
Whisk in dry cake mix.
Stir in chocolate chips.
Pour into greased 15x10x1in baking pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 min or until top
springs up up when lightly touched.
They are more cake like than brownie like. I could it the whole pan in one day if I had the chance.

I don't have a recipe, but I have a very good tip. When you make your brownies, after they have cooled, put them in a plastic ziploc bag with a piece of white bread. This will keep them moist and soft for at least 2-3 days. Replace the bread as needed. Good luck!

Try Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Brownies ready mix. The triple chocolate kind is only found online or at costco but the double chocolate you can get anywhere target, walmart, etc.. These are great soft brownies.

If your brownies are flat and hard, you may be using too large of a cake pan or you may be baking them too long.
There are so many ways to make wonderful brownies. I buy the cheapest mix (whether store brand or on sale) for a 9x13 pan (watch this....a lot of the mixes are for a 8x8 pan). Check the back of the box for instructions on how to make them more cake like.
The trick is in the additions! You can add chocolate syrup, fudge sauce, caramel syrup,... chocolate chips, mint chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, candy bars,... pecans, almonds,...swirl top with cream cheese/confectioners sugar mixture, etc., etc., etc.
Mine are always the first ones gone when I take them anywhere...and always requested.

If you want the fudgy kind then do not say I want a recipe for cake like brownies. Cake like is hard and flat. You want the fudgy kind. When you make a brownie mix it will ask if you want cake like or fudgy.

My favorite recipe is the one on the back of the Nestle Cocoa Powder container. It's VERY thick when you spread it into the pan but just go with it. The trick is to pull them out of the oven when you think they are still raw. They will cook in the pan even more. I don't even bake them as long as the recipe calls for. They are VERY soft and yummy (but not fluffy and cake like if you are looking for). If you are looking for a fluffier brownie, try mixing the batter longer (after the egg has been added). This will get some air in there and should make them fluffier. Just remember, the trick is to undercook them! If you overcook them, they will just be hard and dry.

Hersheys Ultimate Chocolate Brownie mix- if you go to Sams they have it in a five pack box. I use two of the packs and make a sheet of 9x11 brownies for parties- soooo yummy. To make them really decadent- ice w/ this frosting:
1/2 cup butter
6 Tb. Coca Cola
3 Tb. cocoa
1 pound powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (very optional)
Combine butter, cocoa, and Coke in a pan and bring to a boil.(Keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn and stir frequently.) Stir in powdered sugar, vanilla and nuts. Pour icing directly over hot brownies...or just eat the icing out of the pan on a spoon, like I do. Actually I think you could pour this icing over cardboard and it would make it taste great! But the brownie mix is good by itself- altho I ALWAYS have to cut the edges of brownies off- it seems they always get harder than the rest. So it's just a sacrifice....trim the edges, enjoy the rest. Good luck!

Great brownie recipe, made from a cake mix.
Ingredients:
Duncan Hines Butter Recipe Fudge Cake Mix (red box)
1 stick of light margarine
2 eggs
1/2 bag choc. chip morsels
1/2 bag peanut butter chip morsels
1 c. chopped pecans
Directions: Melt butter, then mix all ingredients together. It will be thick, dont add water. Heat oven to 350 degrees & grease 13x9 pan. Bake for 22 minutes, then cool for a couple hours before cutting.

I think you just don't put as much oil and add an extra egg to get them more cake like.

Use the Ghiradelli chocolate brownie mix. No, not homemade but so yummy!

The best brownie I discovered last Christmas.
Buy regular box brownie mix....mix, pour 1/2 in pan...then take a Chocolate bar (The more expensive - Caterburys?...type work best)...and break into pieces..laying it on top of mix. Then, pour the rest of the mix on top. Top brownies with pecans!
OMG....you will have to make another batch to serve!!!
Have Fun!

Duncan Hines! and take them out early! don't cook them all the way up to the time limit.also and maybe most important, barely mix them! seriously! a cake you want to over mix with a beater until the batter is light and fluffy, Brownies are just the opposite! You want to just moisten the dry ingredients and use a spatula (mix spoon) to mix. as soon as it is all moist, stop mixing, folding it rather than trying to beat it! soft moist chewy brownies every time!

I am wondering if your not over mixing the batter. I would do a search on why brownies come out hard and flat. It might be your oven temp and time difference or the flower gone bad something odd like that. Good luck.

Here's a few of my favorite recipe websites:

http://www.cooks.com/rec/search/0,1-0,cake_mix_brownies,F...

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Brownie-Snack-Cake/Detail.aspx

The best brownie recipe I've found is on the box of unsweetened chocolate. It takes lots of eggs and sugar and butter and chocolate, but it is truly delicious. I don't have the box in front of me, but it goes something like this

8 eggs
4 cups sugar
2 cups flour
8 oz unsweetened chocolate squares (the whole box)
3 sticks butter
1 Tbsp vanilla
1 tsp salt

Melt chocolate and butter, mix in eggs, then all the rest of the ingredients. Put in a 9x13 pan (or 10x15). Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes or so. Start with 15 minutes, then test by sticking a knife or toothpick in the middle to see if it comes out clean. Don't let it cook too long. A little goey is better than too dry in my opinion.

Good luck!

I second the suggestion of Ghirardelli Double (or Triple) Chocolate Brownies. That's all I've ever made, and they ROCK!!!
A friend of mine also crumbles up a Symphony Toffee candy bar on top, to give them a little extra goodness. :-p~~

M.

Buy any good boxed brownie mix - Duncan Hines - Betty Crocker, etc - they have directions on box for "Cake Like" brownies - usually just adding an additional egg.