brownies

I have found a number of fantastic cooking blogs (click here and here for some of my favourites) while I have been in Zambia. I like to torture myself by checking out all of the amazing recipes for things I will not be able to make until I go home and have access to more ingredients and my kitchen gadgets, but the other night I found a recipe for brownies and had to make them.  (I am not a huge brownie person, but I had all of the ingredients in my pantry so why not?)

As it is raining yet again (third day in a row - so much for the dry season!), I thought I would take the opportunity to bake. 

The view from my kitchen

brownies in the oven + rain outside = perfect day to stay cosy inside

Ingredients:

1 2/3 cups sugar

3/4 cup butter, melted

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 tablespoons water

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1 1/3 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Mix the sugar with the slightly warm, melted butter.  While mixing, add the eggs one at a time then add the vanilla extract and water.

In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients (cocoa, flour, baking powder and salt).

Mix the wet ingredients into the dry.  Feel free to add chocolate chips or nuts if you prefer your brownies with a bit of something extra.

Grease a 9 x 13 pan with non-stick spray and line with parchment.

Spread the batter into the pan (the batter will be very thick).

Bake the brownies for 18 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out slightly sticky.  Let brownies cool in the pan, and once cool lift out using parchment paper, cut and serve.

Makes 24 brownies.

The most difficult part of making these brownies is waiting for them to cool!

The recipe said that they would be chewy, but I found them more cake-like. . .no one seemed to mind though as they vanished very quickly!