Brownies from scratch (Baker’s chocolate)
I did end up making those brownies I mentioned after I finally picked up some eggs. I made them from scratch, using Baker’s chocolate (100% cacao). This is the way we made brownies when I was a kid, and I always was kind of a snob about it! I didn’t like brownies from a mix as they were usually too cakey. Now, I have to say… the mixes are getting pretty good. Everyone who used mixes thought I was crazy for making brownies from scratch instead of the easy way. Actually, making them from scratch is incredibly easy but you don’t have to tell people that…
I just followed the recipe on the Baker’s chocolate box (“One Bowl Brownies”):
- 4 squares Baker’s unsweetened chocolate
- 3/4 cup butter
- 2 cups sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 cup flour
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt chocolate and butter – the recipe says to microwave it and that’s what I always did as a kid, but our only large microwaveable bowl is currently full of cat food. So I used a double boiler instead which is just as easy. Then stir in sugar. Then eggs and vanilla. And finally the flour.
Grease a 13″x9″ pan. If you’re smart, line it with aluminum foil so you don’t have to wash the pan! Even so, you have to grease the foil. Pour the batter into the pan. Bake 30-35 minutes.
These came out pretty good, nice and fudgy, but I think I have been spoiled by great chocolate. I actually think the brownies from the Ghirardelli mix may be better than these from scratch! Heresy! I think it just comes down to the quality of the chocolate. All 100% cacao is not created equal…
Wow, when you wrote about making brownies from scratch as a kid, I felt like one of those good Moms who bakes with her children until I remembered that we probably did that ONCE…..Maybe you meant “kid” as in teenager, when you could make brownies unassisted. Glad to know I raised a brownie purist though.
Thanks so much for the photos with your walk through! I’m from the US but currently in France and it’s my first time trying this from scratch. The photos helped me a lot – I kind of improvised with basic pans for the double boiler. Anyway – sure smells great – can’t wait to share with my co-workers tomorrow.