Best Chocolate (and Chewy) Brownies!

So if you have been reading my blog, you know about the last brownies that I cooked (Supernatural Brownies.) Those turned out to be a complete disaster. But I tied up my heart and baked these brownies that I found on a Google search. And let me tell you, I had to get to page 5 on Google to find these brownies. But it was totally worth the search!

It was on a blog called Chew on That. The recipe is wonderfully titled "Best Chocolate Brownies" (recipe here: Recipe.) Most of the ingredients I needed I had already from the last recipe. All I needed to buy was the chocolate chips, baking chocolate, and baking powder. I really was taking a risk with this recipe. I was hurt with the last recipe and I thought that the same result would happen again: store bought tasting brownies.

I was supposed to make them on Saturday but I didn't want them to be too old. So I baked them on a Monday morning, since I was off from the Fourth of July holiday. I melted the chocolate and butter and the chocolate was so bitter! Thank God the recipe called for 2 cups of sugar. I added that and mixed well. Next, I mixed one large egg into the mix until it was fully incorporated. I had to do this 4 times, since I used 4 large eggs. Next came the cup of flour and one teaspoon of baking powder that I fully incorporated. Then I realized that I forgot to add some vanilla extract so instead of adding 2 teaspoons of it, I put 2 tablespoons. Accident but trust me, they still tasted wonderful with no heavy vanilla taste.

I then added a cup of chopped walnuts, since I like my brownies to have the nuts inside of them and mixed it all together one last time. I had my 13x9x2 baking pan already coated and ready to go. The oven was a toasty 325 degrees so I poured the batter into the pan and then sprinkled the top with a cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips. The recipe says to bake them for 45 minutes but I wanted my center to be chewy so I cooked them for 40 minutes.

I was so nervous. I was constantly checking up on them and I noticed that the cracks that were forming would have the chips sink in. When I took them out, they kinda looked funny. Not as pretty as the Supernatural Brownies but hey, who's judging? I finally cut them into bars 8 hours later and let me tell you, it was the best brownie I have tasted in 3 years. I was so happy!

My associate pastor was constantly bugging me to make some more brownies so I was too happy to let him have these. They came out with a pretty crust and the middle was perfectly chewy. They also came out thick so I got full on just one. Plus with the chocolate chips at the top, it makes them gooey. He was happy with these and they have been leaving at a fast pace! I doubt that they will be here tomorrow.

Today's a new day so I think I can down two (although I'm on a diet). I don't want them to go stale like the others! Finally, brownie success!!

Texas Sheet Cake

Today I wanted to write a food review about some recipes that I have tried recently. At the beginning of the month, I decided to bake a Texas Sheet cake. I found it at random on a blog called Daily Dish Recipes. The picture of the cake just sent me on a frenzy! Ironically, my boss's birthday was coming up and we had no cake. So what did my co-worker suggest? That I make this cake for him.

First let me tell you, my boss is a Catholic priest. I really didn't want to kill a member of the clergy since I've been working there so long. Second, I was looking at the cake to test it at my home, not bake for a birthday party! Frenzied panic took over me thinking about how this was going to turn out. I was afraid that it would be horrible and not look anything like the picture on the blog. His birthday party was supposed to be a surprise so how was I to prepare the cake in his kitchen without him noticing me?

My co-workers got most of the ingredients that I needed to make and I had to buy some more because I wanted to make a test cake and the final product. If the test cake failed, there was no way in hell I would serve it to my boss to be laughed at. So I printed out this recipe and another one just for the illustrations but I followed the DDR one to the T. I did everything that I was supposed to do while my boss was in his office working. In truth, he was trying to figure out what I was doing but my co-workers lied to him. I know, we're going to hell in a wastebasket.

Anyway, the first cake was finished and I was excited to see how pretty it was. My co-worker in the afternoon was torn between cutting it and not cutting it. I took the leap of faith and cut it. I noticed that it broke up very easily but I only gave it like 10 minutes to rest. It was firm at the first 2 layers and the last layer was extremely moist. I thought that the sour cream was the reason for it. It didn't taste overly sweet although 3 kinds of sugar was used to create it. So the test cake was a success!

My co-worker tried it and loved it. So did my deacon and associate pastor of my parish. I had to call the other co-worker to get more ingredients and the one thing I didn't want to happen happened. My boss was headed my way! He turned around once he saw me & my co-worker in the kitchen hiding with cake in our mouths and I burst out laughing because I think he knew what I was trying to do. I created the final cake and had to do overtime to do so. This one I let rest overnight in another room, not the refrigerator. That would have been too obvious! I lied to my boss and said that the test cake was for my first co-worker's mother's birthday. She took a plate of cake home with her and my other co-worker because it was a huge cake!

All in all, when the truth came out the next day, my boss wasn't surprised. In fact, he was highly amused at the creative lie I left on his desk about the cake. He loved it and everyone else at the party although I was sweating bullets that no one would have gotten sick. In my honest opinion, I thought the cake was good but not what I expected it to be. I was on a brownie kick at the time and it looked like a big brownie cake (even with the pecan topping). But everyone enjoyed it so I lived with that. Success!

Bake it tonight and wow your family!

Miracle Reviews