Sure, finding Kenny wasn’t too bad. I was only 25 when we started dating, so I can’t pretend that I had a huge struggle to meet the man of my dreams. But when it comes to recipes, life can be a bit more complicated.
After several years of baking, I’ve honed my go-to recipes. I have my favorite chocolate cake recipe (thanks, back of the Hershey cocoa container!), my favorite chocolate chip recipe, my favorite blondie base, my favorite cheesecake base, and my favorite peanut butter cookie. But let’s not forget the most important one of them all: the perfect brownie base.
If you’re a regular reader, this recipe will look familiar because I use it ALL. THE. TIME. I can’t help it. These are the best brownies, and they are just as easy as using a mix. Why wouldn’t you try them? Especially when I’ve included yet another fun video tutorial right here!
This video thing is getting addictive, by the way. I’m going to have to keep making them. But at some point I’ll also need to get some really good lighting, an agent, and a personal assistant. A girl can dream!
Back to The One. Last week in class, we were discussing the concept of soul mates. With Valentine’s Day just behind us, my creative writing class has been writing love stories. When I asked how many people believed in the construct of that one person, very few kids raised their hands. Then again, kids can be very cynical, especially teenagers. It’s one of the reasons that I find them so entertaining.
I was once talking to a colleague who expressed that while he believes in the idea of The One, he also thinks that we encounter several versions of that person as we progress through our lives. He used that theory as a good reason to not get married. After all, why settle for one soul mate when you can have six or seven?
To be honest, I’ve never been sure about anything so absolute as the idea of just one soul mate. Is Kenny my soul mate? No doubt. Would he have been my soul mate if I’d grown up in Russia instead, or would I have met a different soul mate nearer to home? These thoughts don’t keep me up at night or anything, but the fact that so many people meet their intended spouses in college is a pretty good argument for true love being partly a matter of convenience.
In other words, I know very few people who have combed the globe to find their intended ones. We’re not lazy, but we’re probably too busy to go searching. Anyone got a dramatic love story for me? Just because Valentine’s is over does not mean that we have to stop talking love. Let me know!
And speaking of love stories, these brownies are it. I made these once and never went back. It takes a lot of arm-twisting for me to make another brownie recipe. Why?
The best reason ever: these are EASY. They come together in less than five minutes (the video doesn’t lie!) and they’re very happy being customized however you like. This time it was peanut butter M &Ms. Next time it might be peanut butter cups. Or something without peanut butter entirely. I’ve got range!
Who knows if finding the perfect brownie recipe is easier or harder than finding the perfect partner? I seriously am not sure. All I know is that it took me longer to find this recipe than it took me to marry Kenny, so draw your own conclusions. But for now, make you some brownies. It’s true love!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350. Line an 8 X 8 pan with foil and spray it with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, mix the cocoa into the melted butter until it dissolves. Add the sugar and stir again. When the sugar is incorporated, mix in the vanilla and eggs. Add the salt and flour, mixing until just combined. Stir in the M & Ms.
- Spread the batter in the prepared pan and press additional M &Ms into the top. Bake for 25-30 minutes until done.
- Remove the brownies from the oven and cool completely. Cut into squares and store in an airtight container.
Bubbly is pretty popular this time of year, but as I explain in my newest video below, I also like to eat my champagne. Why not get really festive with one of the coolest brownie recipes ever?
These are full of champagne and chocolate, and the bubbly is what makes them stand so tall. I never cease to love how carbonated beverages aerate baked goods, making for even more fun and games!
With New Year’s approaching, these brownies will definitely be on the menu. It’s typically a very quiet night. Kenny and I put the kids to bed, make fondue (both cheese and chocolate), and drink champagne while we eat and watch movies. It’s kind of my idea of the perfect night.
And to show you how these brownies are done, I’ve made you a new video! I’m in this one, and nobody likes to see themselves on camera. So I’m cringing, but I hope you enjoy:
There! Whew. Glad that’s over. Now you can actually make these!
Unlike so many of the recipes I share with you, I didn’t make this one up. I’ve seen it in multiple places on the vastness of the Internet, and I had to give it a shot. The most seductive element for me is that champagne glaze. You boil champagne and sugar on the stove for one minute and then brush the mixture all over the brownies. It soaks in and, yep. Quite the champagne flavor punch! I was convinced that eating these would give me a buzz, even though the alcohol likely all cooks out.
And the texture of the brownies is one-of-a-kind. When I saw how much these rose I thought I was going to have a cakey brownie, which I loathe. But that didn’t happen. These were still crazy fudgy, but tall. I’ve honestly never seen that happen before, but I like it! More brownie to love.
The underlying champagne flavor will send you rushing back for more of these guys. Next week, I’ll be putting them onto a fondue platter to show you how Kenny and I like to do it up on New Year’s Eve. In the meantime, good luck with your holiday prep and remember to have a glass of champagne nearby. It really makes everything so festive!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350. Line an 8-inch square pan with foil and coat with cooking spray, or you can use a silicone insert like the one in the video. Set aside.
- Melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave. Stir. If not melted, heat an additional 20 seconds and stir again until smooth. Add the sugar, salt and vanilla, mixing until well incorporated. Add the eggs and mix again. Stir in the flour until the batter is smooth.
- Carefully, stir in the champagne. The batter will be thinner than typical brownie batter, but the color and texture should be uniform.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45-55 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs.
- Make the glaze. Boil the champagne and sugar together for one minute and remove from the heat. Brush the glaze liberally over the brownies. It will soak in.
- Cool completely and cut into squares. Serve!
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