At Home With Theresa

It’s almost time for Happy Valentine’s! I am not over how fast the holidays flew by but for Valentine’s, I am trying to get ready before it arrives. So I have the perfect, easy, decadent recipe for you to serve on this special day!

I have been wanting to eat brownies for a couple of weeks now but since I had been making other things (Red velvet cupcakes, muffins, sourdough bread, filled breads, etc), I was sure it wouldn’t be devoured in time before it goes bad. Or I will end up eating everything and have to add a few miles walk/run to my already busy day.

I had been using the sourdough bread for sandwiches during the weekend so it’s almost gone and my last cupcake was eaten by my son, so TODAY is just the perfect day to sneak in the brownies.

I like fudgy brownies that has nuts and chocolate chips. I also like the texture to be just right…for MY taste. And I found out long ago that the only way I could have it exactly the way I like it is to make it myself. I came across a recipe that suggested adding a tablespoon of oil to make brownies more fudgy. So aside from the melted butter, you add a tablespoon of neutral cooking oil to the batter. I tried it and it works wonders!

Another thing: I do not like doing the dishes so I had always made one bowl brownie recipes to avoid washing a ton of bowls. This recipe checks all those “likes” and “do not likes” and is super quick to prepare too!

This is a delicious, fudgy, cocoa brownie that will surely satisfy a chocolate brownie craving without having to melt chocolate squares, or dirtying a a lot of bowls. Win-win!

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 cup sugar (or 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup packed brown sugar)

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper; set aside.

Melt butter over medium low heat in a small saucepan. Add oil and sugar and whisk well. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy. Sift in flour, cocoa powder and salt. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until combined. It’s okay to have bits of flour, but do not over mix. Add whatever mix ins (I added 1/2 cup of walnuts and 1/2 cup of chocolate chips) you desire. Pour batter into prepared pan, smoothing the top out evenly. You can top the batter with additional mix ins.

Bake for 20 – 25 minutes, or until the center of the brownies is just set to the touch. If testing with a toothpick, it should come out with chocolatey crumbs for fudge-textured brownies. Remove and allow to cool to room temperature before cutting into 16 pieces.

OPTIONAL MIX INS:

• Chopped walnuts, peanuts, almonds, pecans; chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, chocolate chunks, dried cherries….