Monday, July 29, 2013

Homemade Brownies #2 - (Homemade Brownie Mix - Pantry Ingredients)



Last night after working on our daughter's house all weekend, I was hungry for real food.  We had eaten all sorts of fast food the past few days - ugh!  Also, I was really tired!  Really, really tired! 

For some reason the thought of something yummy in my tummy outweighed the tired last night.  I put a small ham in the oven to bake and when that was ready, whipped up a batch of instant mashed potatoes, dumped some canned green beans in a pot, seasoning them with onion, ham base, and a little bacon grease (which is one of our favorite things to eat),  and mixed up some Homemade Biscuits.  What a feast!  While I had the oven on, I mixed up Tin Can Banana Bread  (which I baked in my oven instead of in my crockpot) and some homemade brownies.  I had absolutely no snacks or breakfasts at my house!  Nada!  It was slim pickings!  But, usually if I think a little bit I can come up with something I can make from my pantry.

I used all of my baking powder in the biscuits.  I can make homemade baking powder but I was way too tired to do that.  I just wanted to mix something in a bowl and put it in a pan to bake.  The Tin Can Banana Bread was perfect and will be great for this week's breakfasts since it uses baking soda and not baking powder.  I usually make Brownies Without the Box and those are really delicious, but I didn't have chocolate chips which that recipes requires.  Hmm..  what to do?

I pulled out a recipe book that our Catholic School puts out and low and behold - more homemade brownies than you can shake a stick at!

These brownies turned out great!  You could mix the dry ingredients in baggies or jars and write the additional ingredients needed for making your own brownie mix.  I'll probably do that!  I love having something homemade and good that I can just throw together with regular items that I keep on hand like margarine, vanilla and eggs.

These brownies taste great!  They smell like rich cocoa and are nice and  moist!  They taste more cake like than the Brownies Without a Box but are delicious all the same!  Great for lunch boxes, treat days, and well..  DESSERT!   They make a nice, big pan of brownies.  I'm loving that!

Here's how I made Homemade Brownies #2 (Homemade Brownie Mix) AT HOME MY WAY:

Homemade Brownies
(Homemade Brownie Mix)

  • 1/2 cup cocoa (not NestlĂ©'s)
  • 1 cup butter/margarine, melted/softened
  • 2 cups white sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup flour
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 cup nuts (optional)
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips would be good also (optional)
Instructions

Thoroughly cream butter and sugar.  Add eggs and cocoa.  Stir well, beat a little by hand.  Blend in the flour, vanilla, and the nuts, chocolate chips, if using those.  Stir well at least 25 times.

Spread in a 9 x 13 pan (sprayed) and bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Cool and cut.  We like to sprinkle with powdered sugar when cool.



For Homemade Brownie Mix:

Combine all dry ingredients in each jar/sealable baggy: 

1/2 cup cocoa
2 cups sugar
1 cup flour
1 cup nuts (optional)
1/2 cup chocolate chips would be good also

Instructions to be included with the mix:

Additional ingredients needed:

1 cup butter/margarine, melted/softened
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla

Combine soft butter/margarine with the eggs well.  Add in vanilla, mix again, and then dump in the mix from the jar/baggy.  Combine well and stir about 25 times.

Place in sprayed 9 x 13 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.


This mix would be great to use as gifts during the holidays, in jars or baggies!