It’s been a while since I’ve had a simple brownie. No nuts, no frosting, no chocolate chips, just a dense, chewy, fudgy brownie. Because the next week is going to be extremely crazy due to tests, I knew I had to make things today while I had a bit of free time. Brownies needed to be one of those things. Especially since my freezer bowls for my ice cream maker aren’t completely frozen yet. It’s obviously fate that I was supposed to make these brownies today (and now I’ll have something to crumble into the ice cream when the bowls ARE frozen – huge plus).
I used Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder; these are definitely intensely dark brownies – I was surprised by the coloring. I’ve been meaning to find a recipe that’ll satisfy Alex’s tastes for brownies; he likes boxed mixes (yuck). I think this is simple enough that it should be just what he likes. Edit: Alex doesn’t like them; he needs the butter to be satisfied. He told me I wasn’t a baker (ouch). This is what happens when I try to make it a little lighter in calories (although I really enjoy them). Next time, I’ll try using butter and applesauce instead of oil and applesauce. We’ll see if he notices then.
I love how nicely these cut. I usually have extremely crumbly brownies because I’m too impatient to let them cool. They still weren’t ENTIRELY cool when I cut them, but just look at those squares! Perfect.
Simple Chewy Brownies
adapted from KAF
3/4 cup cocoa powder (I used Hershey’s Special Dark)
2 cups sugar
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup oil
3 eggs
1 t vanilla
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix until smooth. Spread mixture in a parchment lined (over the edges) 11×7 in. pan (or other size works too). Bake for about 25-30 minutes. Allow to cool completely before cutting.