Reviewed: Jul. 26, 2009

These brownies are very good, but I can see where they are very easy to screw up: I followed the recipe exactly for an 8x8" pan, and the brownies were only about 3/4" thick, with the topping. In my gas oven, it took 17 minutes to cook. Stir in the ingredients very, very slowly-almost fold in the ingredients. Don't beat it at all, or you'll end up with cakey nonsense. When they came out of the oven they looked grey, a sign that there may not have been enough cocoa in the recipe, but with the topping, you couldn't tell. I did not use the topping included with this recipe, but a simple ganache (1/2 cup boiled cream mixed with 3/4 cup chocolate chips), drizzled with runny chocolate frosting (1/2 cup ganache mixed with 1 1/2 cup confectioners sugar). The key to put the whole thing together is to put the topping on while the brownies are still hot-The reason is because part of the topping should melt/absorb into the baked batter to create that 'melt in your mouth' treat aimed for. Next time I will double the recipe for an 8x8" pan, for 1 1/2" thick brownies. With the ganache topping, these babies are rich enough to feign a torte if cooked in a round cake pan:)

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Spy Glass

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Living In: Los Angeles, California, USA

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Reviewed: Jul. 22, 2009

I doubled the recipe and baked in a 9x13 pan. Added a bit of milk to the frosting to make spreading easier. So good.

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Bedelia

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Saranac Lake, New York, USA

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Reviewed: Jul. 22, 2009

I made these brownies for work and my co-workers loved them and asked for more. Next time I will definitely double the recipe and make it in a bigger pan, because 8x8 is too small for something this good :) I thought they were slightly cakey (despite following recipe perfectly), I prefer my brownies very dense and chewy, but all I got was great feedback so this recipe is getting 5 stars.

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Melrodiq

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Reviewed: Jul. 21, 2009

WOW!!! These are honestly the best brownies I have ever made pre-packaged or homemade. I subsituted SmartBalance (Omega 3)stick butter and whole wheat pasty flour and added just a bit more sugar by taste. They turned out amazing!! Next time I am going to try subing honey or splenda for the sugar. Then I want feel too guilty for indulging in this yummy treat.

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whatyagotcooking

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Reviewed: Jul. 21, 2009

I just made these brownies and they taste really good. I had a problem with the frosting though. It seems there's some liquid missing from the recipe. The frosting was too dry to be mixed. I added a little milk, about a teaspoon, and that fixed the problem. Like stated in the recipe, I put the frosting on when the brownies were still warm and it basically took off the top of the brownies so it ended up being a mix of frosting and brownie crumbs on top. Next time, I will either add more milk to really thin the icing so it spreads better or I will just omit the icing as the brownies are good on their own.

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Sonia

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Quebec, Quebec, Canada

Living In: Mississauga, Ontario, Canada

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Reviewed: Jul. 21, 2009

My 10 year old found this recipe and we decided to make them. They were so easy to make, he did most of the preparing except beating the last few ingred.,I had to help him. We read the reviews first and went with only baking for 20 min. They are delicious! We didn't make the frosting and instead poured melted peanut butter on top.YUMMY! I used a wisk instead of the mixer and it worked great. One pot, One Pan, 20 min. PERFECT!

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Mimi

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Reviewed: Jul. 21, 2009

I've found that these brownies only need to bake for about 15 to 17 min, not 25 to 30. Also the Frosting is very hard to spread. I added a tablespoon of milk, and that solved the problem. But over all, lovely recipe!

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terralinnda

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Missoula, Montana, USA

Living In: Munich, Bayern, Germany

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Reviewed: Jul. 20, 2009

The name says it all. Delicious! I made the recipe exactly as stated. One thing: I think that the brownies would be equally as good with or without the frosting---if you like very sweet and rich, then frost the brownies; if you prefer a slightly less sweet taste, leave the frosting off.

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Beau's Mommy

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

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Reviewed: Jul. 20, 2009

I must have done something wrong...they were flat and hard (I know over cooked).

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GwynR

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Cambridge, Ontario, Canada

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Reviewed: Jul. 19, 2009

I'm never making brownies from a box again. These were amazing! And I didn't even need the frosting. They were gone within 15 mins and that was a double batch!

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Leanna S

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Reviewed: Jul. 18, 2009

This recipe was definitely quick and easy but the results show that. It is not quite as good as others I have tried. Considering I am the only one in the household that likes brownies I will use this simple recipe again for myself. (I did not make the frosting, there was no need for it.)

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Kristy

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Reviewed: Jul. 17, 2009

I rated this 4 stars because though it is a pure brownie, i am not a huge fan of the pure taste of cocoa. And I am not a fan of frosted brownies. I believe brownies should be sweet and chocolatey all by themselves. So i didnt add the frosting. But like I said...a little to much cocoa for my taste.

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sweettooth55

Cooking Level: Intermediate

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Reviewed: Jul. 16, 2009

Great brownie recipe. I made them without the frosting and added 1/2 cup chocolate chips to the cooled batter before baking. Yum.

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Misslissa

Cooking Level: Expert

Living In: Tacoma, Washington, USA

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Reviewed: Jul. 16, 2009

I have made these brownies twice. Both times they came out fabulous. For me putting the frosting on about 10-20 after they come out of the oven is perfect because I believe that a little of the frosting melts and then soaks into the brownie. I also believe that when the brownies get to set up overnight they are awesome. One thing about the frosting though, I read a review that said for the frosting to melt the butter, I did that and followed the directions and it wasn't frosting so I put in maybe a quarter cup or so of milk and the frosting was fabulous. Great Recipe!

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bakerman

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, USA

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Reviewed: Jul. 13, 2009

We loved this brownie. Made two batches of this last night and both turned out very gooey and not cakey. Doubled the recipe, used a 9x13 pan and as per other reviewer's suggestion used only 3 eggs. I mixed all the dry ingredients first, then added it to the butter mixture, careful not to overbeat. Added marsmallows and choc chips to the batter and sprinkle more choc chips before baking it. Baked for 25 minutes and very gooey and yummy. No need for frosting. This is a keeper. Thanks for this great recipe.

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Abigail

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu, Philippines

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Reviewed: Jul. 13, 2009

Very inconsistent recipe! I am not one to write reviews, I actually just registered in order to write a review about this recipe. The first time I made these, I was in a complete rush and just through the ingredients in without reading- they turned out fabulous right at 25 minutes! The next time I made them, I had more time and followed the recipe EXACTLY. And it doesn't matter- they come out different EVERY TIME. I use the exact same pan, same oven, same technique, and I get different results every time. Sometimes good, sometimes like a chocolate cake, sometimes too fudgy. When they are good- they are good! But this can't be my go to recipe for a brownie. Just inconsistent. And I am a very experienced baker. So I'm not sure what the problem is!

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pmz99

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Reviewed: Jul. 12, 2009

These were terrific! Gooey. I doubled the recipe and used a 9X12 pan. I was doubtful I'd like the frosting b/c I hate honey, but you can't hardly taste that honey aftertaste when its in the frosting on the brownies. We undercooked ours a tad, made for a wonderfully gooey mess! After trying quick and easy brownie recipe on here, I took this down a star, b/c those are even better!

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Amy

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Reviewed: Jul. 11, 2009

These were perfect. An earlier reviewer mentioned they were a cross between a cake and brownies and that description is very accurate, which is what I liked. I didn't overmix or overcook (exactly 25 minutes) and spread the frosting on top while still warm. Fabulous. However, I did have to add a 2-3 tsps of milk to the frosting to improve the consistency.

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Magique

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Great Bend, Kansas, USA

Living In: Prairie Village, Kansas, USA

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Reviewed: Jul. 9, 2009

I am sad to say I usually agree with the majority of reviews, but I gotta disagree with this one. I opted to not do the frosting and used the brownies as a base to sundaes. I doubled the recipe, omitted an egg and only baked 20 minutes of the recommended 25-30. They were still moist in the center, but still tasted cakey and were dry. I did not overmix as I read the reviews warning against this. The flavor was also one dimensional. I'm going to stick with the recipes which use vegetable oil instead of butter to get the fudgey consistency. Better luck to those of you who made them.

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