very important research

ok, so maybe some of you out there don't know this, but i am a self proclaimed 'brownie connoisseur' in other words, i make brownies for the sake of research. that's a much better reason than just for the chocolate, don't you think? i mean, if people knew that i was just making brownies for myself all the time, they might think i have a problem. but for the sake of science, i'll totally do the research and share my findings with you... and anyway, i tried to be a 'homemade roll connoisseur' and that was just disappointing because my roll skills were not up to par. so i found something easier. well, in all these times of making brownies, i have found out that

1) almost all brownies turn out better if mixed by hand.

2)almost all brownies that call for something other than cocoa powder will be better.

3)a mix is still good if you like the crustiness with doughiness.

4)light brownies may not be deliciously possible.

well, all of those points are still true to me... except for #4... i made these brownies the other day and they turned out fabulous! i seriously blinked and they were gone! and i was the only one home, so i really don't know what happened to them! the best part of the brownies is that they are LIGHT. yep! light.

that brings me to another topic... where did i find a fabulous and light brownie recipe? from "the best light recipe" of course. i have "the best recipe" and it is one of my favorite books to sit down and read. every recipe includes an explanation of why they can claim it is the best and how they came to their conclusions. these people are really cooking scientists if you ask me. not only that, every recipe i have tried in that book has turned out perfect! so we got the light version and it has proved to be a fabulous cookbook as well. the only thing i changed in the brownie recipe was leaving out the instant espresso powder. don't worry you won't miss it. especially if you don't drink coffee like me, then you really won't miss it. so run to your kitchen and try this recipe! you won't be disappointed!

Lighter Brownies

1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

2 TBSP. cocoa powder

1 TBSP. warm water

1 TBSP. vanilla extract

2 TBSP. unsalted butter

3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped fine

1/2 cup sugar

1/8 tsp. salt

1 large egg, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 350. line with foil and grease 8 inch square baking pan. Whisk flour and baking powder together; set aside. In separate bowl, whisk cocoa, water, and vanilla together. Microwave butter and chocolate together until melted. Whisk until smooth, then whisk in sugar and salt. Add cocoa mixture, then egg. Stir in flour mixture until just incorporated. (do not overmix) Pour into prepared pan. Bake until toothpick inserted comes out with a few crumbs on it, about 20-35 minutes. Enjoy!