Betty Crocker Brownies

Brownies are always a hit!

Especially this classic Betty Crocker recipe for moist, fudgy, and rich chocolate brownies.

I just read that this recipe for Betty Crocker brownies won a brownie baking tasting at the Chicago Tribune where it competed against 3 other brownie recipes by respected cookbook authors.

It just goes to show that when it comes to baking brownies, Betty Crocker knows best!

This recipe is a real crowd pleaser too.

In fact it turns up in three of my favorite Betty Crocker Cookbooks - the Betty Crocker Cookbook, Betty Crocker Baking Basics, and the Betty Crocker Cookie Book, where it is labeled "The Ultimate Brownie."

Betty Crocker Brownies Recipe

2/3 cup (10 2/3 tablespoons) butter or margarine
5 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate, chopped into pieces
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 large eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped nuts, if desired

Position one of your oven racks in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray or shortening.
In a small saucepan, melt the butter and chocolate over low heat, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
In a large bowl beat the sugar, vanilla, and egg with an electric mixer on high speed for 5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula if necessary to make sure everything is well blended.
Beat in the chocolate mixture with the mixer on low speed, scraping the bowl occasionally as necessary.
Add the flour and beat on low speed just until blended.
Stir in the nuts, if using, with a wooden spoon.
Spread batter into the prepared pan.
Bake 40 to 45 minutes or just until the brownies begin to pull away from the sides of the pan and center is set.
Remove from the oven and place the pan on a wire rack to cool completely, about 2 hours.
Cut into desired size and shape brownies.

Betty Crocker Brownie Recipe Variations

Betty Crocker Triple Chocolate Brownies:
Stir 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips and 1/2 cup white chocolate chips into the brownie batter with the nuts, if using. Bake and cool as directed.
Betty Crocker Chocolate Brownie Pie:
Bake the brownie batter into a greased 10-inch pie plate (instead of a 9-inch square pan) for 35 to 40 minutes or until center is set. When completely cool, cut into wedges and serve with whipped cream or ice cream and hot fudge sauce, if desired. (Makes approximately 12 servings)
Betty Crocker Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies:
Substitute 1/3 cup crunchy peanut butter for 1/3 cup of butter. Omit the nuts. Spread batter into the pan and then top with 16 (1-inch) unwrapped peanut butter cup candies. Press the candies down into the batter so the tops of the candies are even with the top of the batter. Bake and cool as directed.

Recipes adapted from the Betty Crocker Cookbook

Quick and Easy Betty Crocker Brownies
If you are not in the mood or don't have the ingredients to make brownies from scratch, there is always Betty Crocker Surpreme Brownies Mix available in an assortment of flavors including original supreme, low fat, fudge, dark chocolate, and chocolate chunk. I always try to have a box or two of brownie mix ready to go in the pantry. Just add oil, water, and eggs and you are minutes away from a delicious batch of Betty Crocker brownies.