Hi Everyone!
I was looking on the internet for various ways to doctor up a brownie mix. I wasn't looking for something ridiculously indulgent, but something that would kick up your brownies a notch. Well, I found it! A Chef recommended replacing the water with a dark roast coffee, then replacing the oil with a cube of softened butter (½ cup). Oh, and of course, you add 1 egg. I used the Ghirardelli brownie mix that I purchased at Costco. You pay about $9.99 for 6 packages. I was hesitant about using the dark roast coffee in place of the water because I don't care for desserts that taste like coffee. The Chef in the article said the taste of the coffee would not be detectable, but it would give the chocolate an enhanced flavor. The article also mentioned I could add pecans, but I decided against it because the people who would be eating this do not like nuts. I know! Crazy people! LOL! With that said, I mixed up a batch and poured the batter into a round 9 inch cake pan that I sprayed with Baker's Joy. I put the pan into a pre-heated 325 degree oven and baked the brownies for about 48 minutes. After I allowed the brownies to completely cool in the pan, I sliced the brownies in triangular wedges and stacked them in a Rubbermaid container with a piece of wax paper in between. People, I have to tell you that the brownies were THE absolute bomb! The flavor was incredible and to me, it tasted like homemade. I plan on making them for Christmas as this would be a VERY cheap gift and something I think everyone would appreciate. I'm thinking with each brownie mix, you should be able to fill 4 bakeware cups. (Check out the large free-standing bakeware cups that I purchased!) They also have the bakeware cups in the Wilton baking section at Michael's. These cups are NOT your typical extra large cupcake liners. These are 4 inches across the bottom and you set them on a cookie sheet to bake. When the brownies are out of the oven and 100% cold to the touch, you can place each cup into a clear cellophane loot bag and tie it with a beautiful Christmas bow and maybe attach a handmade ornament. By the way, you can find the loot bags at the Dollar Tree OR Walmart in the party section. TIP: If you are giving these brownies as a gift, I would not bake them any sooner than a day in advance. Oh, and if you don't have a Costco near you, you can certainly use the Ghirardelli brownie mixes off the store shelf! Enjoy!
