Everybody's Favorite One Bowl Brownies

This is one of our family's all time favorite recipes, and luckily it's one the easiest dessert recipes I know. If we're asked to bring a dessert to a potluck, but we don't have a whole lot of time to be in the kitchen, this is usually my go-to recipe. I used to think of them as my "Book-Club Brownies" as they were perfect to make on a week night and have ready to go the next night when my book club would meet. (Or sometimes I would even make them up the afternoon of the meeting.)

But I should warn you, they are still very much a TREAT recipe. There is nothing low-fat/low calorie/low-sugar about this recipe . . .

Ingredients:
4 oz. of unsweetened chocolate (we prefer to use a bar of Baker's Unsweetened Chocolate)
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
4 eggs
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips or semisweet chocolate chunks

Pan-Size: I like to use an 8x8 glass dish for these brownies, it makes them thick and fudgy. However, you can use a longer pan (just make sure you adjust the baking time.) Before baking you can butter the pan quickly, or I like to line my pan with parchment paper for easy removal of brownies.

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
2. If using an bar of unsweetened chocolate, chop the bar into coarse pieces.
3. In a large glass bowl melt the butter and chocolate in the microwave at 30 second intervals. Quickly stir at each 30 second interval to check the consistency of the chocolate mix. As soon as the chocolate is melted remove from microwave. (Warning, it is possible to burn chocolate in the microwave, so keep checking at each 30 second mark.)
4. Let the chocolate & butter mix cool for 1 to 2 minutes.
5. Mix in eggs and salt.
6. Add in vanilla and sugar until fully mixed in.
7. Use a large spoon to add in the flour.
8. Quickly add in 1 cup of semisweet chocolate chips or chocolate chunks. (This is obviously optional, but trust me, it makes them even better.)

The batter should now be a thick, gooey, chocolatey mixture. 

9. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. As I mentioned above, I like to use parchment paper in my pan. If the edges of the paper go slightly over the edge of the pan, then it makes for easy removal of the brownies after baking. 

10. Bake the brownies:

      If using an 8x8 pan, the brownies will take about 40 to 45 minutes to bake.

      If using a 9x13 pan the brownies take about 20 to 25 minutes to bake. 

If you insert a tooth pick near the end of baking, it should still be a little gooey but should not look like raw batter. 

Cooking tip: Set up parchment paper so it goes over the edge of the pan to make for easy brownie removal. 

Let the brownies cool a little before serving. They are definitely best served warm (think out of the oven only half an hour . . .) But they are also great later on or within the next few days. When we're feeling REALLY indulgent, we turn them into brownie sundaes. 

From our kitchen to yours . . . enjoy! 

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