Amazing Brownies

I'm sure that I've mentioned my Mom's cooking habits on this blog before.  (Sorry, Mom, but I have to go here.  It's the only way they'll understand me.)  So, let me paint a picture of my Mom for you.  First of all, she's tiny.  She's stubborn.  She is not afraid of anyone, she and my Dad raised five (awesome) kids while working full time, and this woman does what she wants.  Period. She also ends a lot of her sentences with "period." She also happens to be a lifetime journalist, writer and editor and nothing drives her crazy like grammatical errors and incorrect punctuation.  I'm glad that it's impossible for her to take a red pen to my blog posts, because I know it wouldn't be pretty. My point in all this is that because she's so headstrong (stubborn), I can guarantee you that the number of times she's actually followed a recipe in her kitchen is exactly zero.  She can't, and I mean she CAN'T, follow a recipe without adding to it, altering it, or doctoring it. She knows it. This is why growing up I don't think I had ever had a brownie that wasn't completely gooey in the center.  She would bake them for twice as long as they should take and they still wouldn't firm up. Now, ask me how many of those pans of brownies went uneaten?  Exactly zero.  They were fabulous.  Kind of like brownie batter.  Yes, sometimes you had to eat them with a spoon, but that never stopped us.  (Mom, I won't mention all of the times you made brownie batter just so you could EAT the brownie batter...) They're cakey, fudgy, chewy and have a perfectly crisp "shell" on the top.  They don't need frosting.  All they require is a big glass of cold milk.  Or, ice-cream.  Your choice. Don't be like me and eat them for dinner. You also have a decision to make before you whip these up.  Ask yourself what kind of chocolate you like - do you want a dark, bitter brownie or a light, sweet brownie?  I've made them both ways this week, and I've found that I like the milk chocolate version best.  The bittersweet version was way too much for me.  I haven't tried semi-sweet yet, but that's next.  Whatever your preference, just make the substitution and no other changes are necessary.  Oh, and PS - these are a one-bowl recipe.  They're amazing. Enjoy!  (And see that comment button below?  USE IT!  Nothing makes me happier than comments from my readers!  And find me on Facebook, Twitter and Google+!) Amazing Brownies Yield:  12-24 brownies, depending on size Prep Time:  20 minutes ♦ Bake Time:  40 minutes ♦ Total Time:  1 hour, plus cooling time (3hrs)