Fudgy Cocoa Brownies

I realize that I am probably committing a major food blog faux pas by writing a post containing a recipe and not including a pictorial explanation of either the process or the finished product. Considering I've placed myself on a rather strict budget until I climb out of the financial hole known as "moving to New York," a new digital camera will have to be a purchase I must delay. (My very old refurbished HP digital camera did not survive the move.) So, to appease those readers who absolutely must have visual stimulation in a blog post, I'm including pictures of ingredients. ;-)


After a long day at work yesterday, which included inventorying and folding 575 t-shirts and helping a coworker fix the flushing mechanism on one of the office toilets, I needed chocolate. Remembering there was a recipe for brownies on the container of SACO Premium Cocoa I had in the cabinet, I decided to go for it. Especially since I had a bottle of Ina-Garten-recommended "good vanilla" in the cabinet right next to the cocoa.

I cannot begin to tell you how decadent these brownies were! It took a tremendous amount of restraint for me to only eat two before wrapping the rest of the pan up for the night. Normally, I'm not a huge fan of nuts or other mix-ins in my brownies, but I'm glad I added the almonds. The crunchy nuts provided a nice contrasting texture to the chewy fudginess to the brownies and having them in there helped to cut the richness. If I had it in the freezer, I would definitely top one of these brownies off with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Thanks, SACO Foods, for providing the recipe! Enjoy!

Fudgy Cocoa Brownies
Adapted from the recipe on the container to include nuts | Printable Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
• 1/2 cup SACO Premium Cocoa
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Grease an 8" x 8" x 2"-inch pan with the stick of butter being used in the recipe.
3. In a large microwavable bowl, melt butter. Remove from the microwave and add cocoa. Stir until well-blended.
4. Add sugar and mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat well after each addition.
5. Stir in vanilla, flour, and salt, being careful not to overmix.
6. Fold in the slivered almonds. If they have just been toasted, be sure they are cool before adding to the batter.
7. Spread the batter in the prepared pan and bake 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
8. Cool for 5-10 minutes before cutting and devouring.

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