Magazine Mondays: Brownies

I have alot of blogs on my feed reader. Some I read every day, others I let stack up and then read in a big bunch. Cake Wrecks is a good example of the "let stack up" pile - I save them for when I need a good giggle and then read a bunch at once.

Also on that list is my friend Megan's The Brownie Project. Not because I don't like her blog or brownies, but because I do like brownies. Every time I read it, I want to go make some brownies, and while the chocolate industry might like that idea, my pants, and my husbands training, don't like that. So instead I save them up and read them in batches, then go make brownies.


This time I decided to outwit the brownie compulsion: I made a batch of low fat brownies, and then sitting down to eat one, then I read all about Megan's brownies. You see, eating a delicious piece of fudgy brownie negates the need to go out and make several more batches of decadent brownies.

A smart and tasty idea.

Okay, these brownies aren't going to be nearly as good as some with triple chocolate, or with a caramel ribbon running through it. Or the cheesecake marble brownies, those are just evil, pure, pure evil. Especially combined with the caramel ribbon brownie. Can you taste it, caramel, cheesecake and brownie all at once. OMG, just roll me off to the weight loss clinic now!

Despite not having all those extra things, these are pretty good. A bit fudgy, a bit dense, and enough chocolate in each bite to satisfy a craving. Simple to make, the first time these were made at my home, my 10 year old did it.

We have one piece left. And Megan has one brownie post up right now. Think I better hide that last brownie, save it up for a good brownie read.

In the meantime, this is my submission for Magazine Monday, hosted by my favorite Creampuff!

Fudgy Brownies
from Cooking Light, July 2002

Note: The batter for these brownies is very thick and sticky and does not like to spread in the pan. Don't panic when this happens, you didn't do anything wrong!

Makes 16 brownies

1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon hot water
2 teaspoons instant coffee granules
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/4 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 325°.

Place sugar and eggs in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until thick and pale (about 5 minutes). Combine hot water and coffee granules, stirring until coffee granules dissolve. Add coffee mixture, butter, and vanilla extract to sugar mixture; beat at low speed until combined.

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, cocoa, and salt, stirring with a whisk. Gradually add flour mixture to sugar mixture, stirring just until moist (batter will be thick).

Spread batter into an 8-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 325° for 23 minutes or until brownies spring back when touched lightly in center. Cool in pan on a wire rack.