a confession

Can I tell you an embarrassing secret??
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No...it's not that I have been slacking on my baking groups the past two months (though I do feel bad about that...
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Nope...not the fact that I keep buying things for myself and have yet to complete any "Christmas shopping", though that's pretty bad too....
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This embarrassing confession is that, until last week, I had never successfully made brownies from scratch. :( That's right...all the crazy things I have tried, and I've never done a basic brownie!! I have(on multiple occasions) created delicious brownies from a box mix and the secret Weakley family magic addition of chocolate syrup to the mix, but that is it. Hubs always gives me grief about this b/c he ADORES eating brownie mix raw (yes, I know it's not safe, but sometimes I'm just so glad that he's eating something that I don't care!!) and he doesn't want me to do them by scratch--he just wants the basic boxed brownie mix that he loves. And I have been afraid to even try it b/c it sucks to compare yourself to a boxed mix and lose!!!

Well, when one of my co-workers requested brownies for her birthday treat, I decided that it was finally time for me to tackle my fear. I had heard a few things about Southern Living's "So Good Brownies" from the August 2009 issue, so I decided that this would be the treat to try. I read a review of the recipe on Jenny Bakes where she said that the brownies were almost grainy with sugar...but to crazy me, that actually sounds good--kinda like raw cookie dough...yum :)

I thought these were pretty simple to put together and set them to bake for the minimum time of 40 minutes, at which time I decided that they needed to stay in for about 5 more minutes. Well, if you read my recent post about losing my baking"mojo" you may see the disaster coming...I forgot to set the timer, and also forgot all about the brownies!! About 20 minutes later a very naughty word escaped my lips as I ran to the oven to see what horrible shape my first attempt at real brownies would be in.

Miraculously, they were fine!! Maybe a little hard around the edge pieces, but the center was still surprisingly chewy and they did not taste overdone! So I am renaming these the "miraculous cannot be overbaked brownies."

How did they go over at work you ask?? I took this platter:

piled high with brownies and some cheesecake that was leftover from thanksgiving...and by the time the day was over the platter was completely empty! (and this was on our office's slowest day too!) And people came back for seconds and thirds so I felt pretty good about it all.

And now, without further ado, the recipe for Southern Living's
"Miraculous cannot be overbaked brownies" aka "So good Brownies"
**I would not necessarily try to overbake them...i may have just had a special guardian angel in my oven that day**

4 (1-oz) unsweetened chocolate baking squares
3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. salt

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line bottom and sides of an 8 in. pan w/aluminum foil, allowing 2 to 3 inches to extende over sides. lightly grease foil.
2. Microwave chocolate squares and butter in a large microwave safe bowl at HIGH 1 1/2 to 2 minutes or until melted and smooth, stirring at 3o second intervals. Whisk in granulated and brown sugars. Add eggs, 1 at a time, whisking just until blended after each addition. Whisk in flour, vanilla and salt.
3. Pour mixture into prepared pan.
4. Bake at 350 for 40 to 44 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool completely on wire rack (about 1 hour). Lift brownies from pan using foil sides as handles. Gently remove foil and cut into 16 squares.

**the magazine & website give several ideas for mix-ins and variations on the recipe that sound amazing!!**

btw...Butch has been very pouty the past couple weeks due to her parents' busyness.