Bodacious Brownies

I'll admit it, I was someone who use to buy brownie mix from the store because I assumed making brownies from scratch would be a hassle. Probably because they are heavenly squares of chocolaty deliciousness  I assumed they must take a lot of time to create. Well, I was wrong. This brownie recipe is just as easy as opening a box, adding a few liquids, and following the instructions. You probably dirty the same amount of dishes too. Also, one of the best things about making brownies from scratch is the bragging rights. So now you can do the same amount of work and you don't have to be embarrassed if someone asks you if you made them from scratch.

There are SO many things you can do with brownies, they are very versatile. Your creativity with brownies is really only limited to your imagination. Based off the type of ice cream, I've made rocky road brownies with mini marshmallows, and nuts. You can play around with the type of chocolate you use, such as using dark chocolate cocoa powder and either dark chocolate chips or maybe milk chocolate chips to smooth out the bitterness of the dark chocolate. Play around and have fun with it!

For these brownies, I decided to top half of the batter with chopped pecans. Some people may not prefer nuts on their brownies and some people may be nut lovers. This way there is a brownie for everyone!

Bodacious Brownie Recipe

Ingredients

1 1/3 Cups Butter, Softened

2 1/3 Cups White Sugar
4 Eggs, Large
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
1 Tablespoon Instant Espresso Powder or Crystals 

2 Cups Flour

1 Cup Cocoa Powder, Unsweetened

12 Oz. Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a 13 in. x 9 in. pan. 

Using a KitchenAid or hand mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Beat in eggs and vanilla until well combined.   

Mix in vanilla, espresso, flour, and cocoa powder. Once the ingredients are fully incorporated, add chocolate chips. 

Place batter in greased pan and bake for 30 minutes. 

Once the brownies are cooked, remove them from the oven and let cool before cutting into them. 

Alternative Ideas 

Peanut Butter Lovers: Chocolate and peanut butter go so well together! You could add in approximately 1 cup of peanut butter morsels along with the semi-sweet chocolate chips. Another way to add peanut butter would be to heat up some creamy peanut butter and swirl it into the brownie batter using a knife and spoon. 

Nut Lovers: I personally don't like nuts in the batter because it changes the texture of the brownies but if you do then add about 1 1/2 cups of preferred nuts (e.g., pecans or walnuts) to the batter before placing it in the baking pan. Also, before placing the batter in the oven you could top it with chopped nuts. 

Cake Lovers: If you want to make the brownies more fluffier and less fudgey, you can try adding 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder. If you do this you will want to reduce the cooking time. I would recommend checking the brownies after 20 minutes. To check if they are done, insert a toothpick and if it comes back clean you are good to go. If not, back for a couple more minutes and then check with a toothpick again.  

Eat, Share, and Enjoy!