What we’ve been up to and, finally, brownies

So you’re probably wondering – why does it take so long to come up with a brownie post?

Well, we’ve been a little preoccupied as of late . . .

We finally closed on our new home.  Hooray!

So there’s a new shoebox kitchen!  Jason finally got to have the pot hanger he’s always wanted.

But there’s more . . .

That’s right.  Brownies aren’t the only thing that’s been baking around here lately.

The first shoebox baby is due in less than a month!

So, that’s the brief update on our life, which sort of explains our recent radio silence.

Now, back to the brownies!

We really do think we found the perfect brownie recipe.  And, as with most good things, the recipe already existed, right under our noses.  We only modified it very slightly:

“Brownies, as They Should Be” from the Pioneer Woman’s Tasty Kitchen, slightly tweaked

• 1 cup all-purpose flour, measured by spooned and leveled method
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• a heaping 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup turbinado sugar
• 2 tablespoons Coke (weird, right?  we’ll explain below)
• 6 oz semisweet chocolate chips
• 6 oz bittersweet chocolate chips
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 eggs

Sorry, no in-process photos of this recipe – but you know what brownie batter looks like, right?

Combine and sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda.  Measure out and set aside in a large glass mixing bowl the two types of chocolate chips.  Go ahead and pour the vanilla extract over them.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter, then add the sugar and Coke (the recipe calls for water, so we figured it’s only 2 tablespoons so why not add something interesting – we don’t think this made any difference) and bring the mixture just to a boil, making sure all the sugar is dissolved.  Immediately pour over the chocolate; allow to sit for 30 seconds, then stir together until smooth.

Add each egg separately to the chocolate mixture, beating each egg very well into the mixture.  The more thoroughly you beat the eggs into the mixture, the better your top “crust” will be (you’re actually making a meringue when you do this).

Now gradually add the dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture, stirring only to combine.

Pour into an 8×8 baking pan that is lined with parchment paper.

Bake at 325 degrees for about 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few crumbs.

We really do think these brownies are the perfect mix of chewy and fudgey, which blend is hopefully well-illustrated by the image above.  We also like the blend of bittersweet and semisweet chocolate, which gives a nice balanced sweetness to them.

And for those of you who like that crisp, almost crackly surface, well, these are right up your alley.

Whew!  Brownies done – finally!  What’s next???