Alice's Brownies

Today's post is brought to you by my first guest blogger!! My friend Alice is going to share the secret behind her very popular brownies. I remember reading in an article years ago that everyone should have at least one recipe that they can prepare for a party or potluck. Brownies are always a winner! If you know people who don't like brownies, then you should seriously reevaluate the friendship! This recipe is pretty simple and I plan on having a box of Duncan Hines Family-Style Milk Chocolate Brownies in my pantry from now on!

Since it is Labor Day Weekend, it’s time for some last hurrah barbeques! I used to receive invitations to events involve food with a mixture of excitement and dread. I loved socializing and eating, but there was always that quiet voice whispering, “But what will I BRING?” The answer was brownies, because for years it was the only thing I knew how to make. (What can I say, I ate out a lot.)

My brownies were always a hit. It got to the point where people were requesting my presence and my brownies’ presence in the same breath. (“Can you come Saturday…and bring a pan of brownies?”) My brownies were like the slightly-more popular friend in high school that could get me into parties I wouldn’t be invited to on my own.

When people ask for my recipe I am always more than happy to share. This is my recipe:

Yup, it’s a mix. But it has to be this exact mix: Duncan Hines Family-Style Milk Chocolate Brownies. On the front of the box it says ‘13” x 9” pan size’, but I make it in an 8” x 8” pan – this is a critical step! If you choose to use a larger pan, I wash my hands of the consequences. The smaller pan means the brownies are thicker and stay really moist.

I always follow the directions for the fudgy brownies (cake-like brownies = yuck, just trust me on that). Then I bake them for less time than the recipe calls for. The box says to bake them for 39 – 42 minutes, but I start peering in on them at 25 minutes, then every 3 minutes after that. The second I insert a toothpick and it comes out mostly clean, I pull them out of the oven to cool off. (After you make them a lot, you won’t even need the toothpick test – you’ll be able to tell if they’re done by nudging the pan and seeing if they still ripple.)

Let them cool for a few hours, then slice, and eat.

Doesn’t that look tasty? Enjoy!!

-Alice

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