Oh So Yummy Brownies!

Now who doesn't love brownies??!! I know I sure do and I have tried many different brownie recipes in the past but recently I found one that I prefer over the rest. While searching on the internet for brownie recipes I came upon the Deep Dish Brownie recipe on the Hershey's website. This recipe is very easy, only requires a couple bowls, basic ingredients and not alot of work and before you know, you will have yourself a super delicious batch of homemade brownies!

Before I share this recipe with you lets talk about cocoa, the main ingredient in all those yummy chocolate desserts. Cocoa is actually the solid part of the cacao bean, cocoa butter is the fat component of the cacao bean and chocolate is a combination of both. It is believed that cocoa may have originated in the Amazon in South America. A HUGE thank you to whoever discovered this wonderful crop! At that time it was a prize delicacy served to authorities and was even used as currency before the Spanish conquests. Today, nearly 70 % of the cacao plants are grown in West Africa. (facts are courtesy of the New World Encyclopedia)

Now for the part you all have been waiting for...here is the recipe for .........(drum roll please)....

Deep Dish Brownies (courtesy of Hershey's website)

Ingredients:

3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter or margarine, melted

1-1/2 cups sugar

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 eggs

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 8-inch square baking pan.

2. Combine butter, sugar and vanilla in bowl. Add eggs; beat well with spoon. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; gradually add to egg mixture, beating until well blended. Spread batter evenly into prepared pan.

3. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars. About 16 brownies.

Now that you have the recipe, here are a couple of my own tips. According to your oven, you may not have to bake the brownies for the whole 40 or 45 minutes. Mine are done about 5 to 10 minutes sooner (which is always nice)! So just keep checking them until you feel they are ready or of the consistency you prefer. Another tip is that when I bake I always seem to use more vanilla than recommended, usually about 1/2 to a whole teaspoon more. I think the more vanilla, the better. I also tend to use slightly less sugar than called for. Also, since this recipe is deep dish and in a square baking dish, I noticed that you can actually use this brownie recipe as a cake instead if you prefer. You can frost the top and decorate as desired.

Well I hope everyone who tries these brownies enjoys them as much as I do. They have a wonderful texture and perfect flavor and are very simple to make.