Little Black Dress Brownie Recipe

A great balance between the fudgy brownie and the cakey brownie, this isn't overly sweet yet is decadent and rich.  This is an amazingly simple brownie recipe that yields big results.  I like to call this a pantry recipe, as almost everyone has these ingredients on hand at all times.   YES!  You, too, can bake from scratch! 

• 6 ozs   Butter or Margarine (1 cube plus 2 TBSP)
• ½ cup Cocoa
• 1 cup Sugar
• 2 Eggs
• ¼ tsp Salt
• ½ tsp Baking Powder
• ½ tsp Vanilla
• ¾ cup Flour
• ½ cup Walnuts or Pecans, chopped (totally optional.  I usually opt not.)

Grease an 8 x 8 pan. Set oven to 325 degrees F.  If I'm feeling particularly fancy, I'll butter & sugar the pan, but generally, I use a spray like Pam. 

Melt the butter in a mixing bowl (I microwave it for about a minute). Stir in the cocoa and sugar.

Add the eggs, one at a time, stirring to incorporate after each one. Add salt, baking powder and vanilla.  I mix it by hand with a spatula.  It's not hard mixing and the batter comes together quickly.

Stir in the flour. Pour into your greased pan. Bake for about 20 – 25 minutes, or until the brownies test done with a toothpick.

Let cool, then frost with icing, if desired.  I like to top them with German Chocolate frosting or with Chocolate Buttercream.

I generally cut these into 12 hearty portions, but 16 pieces would be a good size, too.