This is the first Valentine’s Day in recent memory that I have an actual significant other. In the previous years, I’d spend the day at home with the parents, drinking wine and eating food and watching The Godfather–all in all, a fairly typical night in the Palepu household.
This year, me and my boyfriend plan to cook dinner at home, go see that cheesy Valentine’s Day movie, and drink wine with my parents. Gotta love sticking to tradition.Â
Not to say I’m not completely hopeless. I did go buy him a gift, and will spend this afternoon making his favorite sweet, brownies. Which I make every time he visits.
And not just any brownies. Ghiradelli brownies from scratch.
Yes, I am the best girlfriend ever.
This recipe is surprisingly easy. Be careful while melting the chocolate–it burns easily. And you will get an excellent arm workout while stirring the flour into the batter completely, so feel free to take a few licks of the batter. Mostly, enjoy! They are rich and sweet and addictive–my father, who abstains from sweets entirely, has been known to polish half a pan of these suckers. Whether you make them for your Valentine, your friends in observance of Singles’ Awareness Day, or for yourself…enjoy them.
Ghiradelli Chocolate Classic Brownies
Yield: 16 brownies
- 1/2 cup(s) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
- 4 ounce(s) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Baking Bar
- 1/2 cup(s) (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 1 cup(s) firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon(s) pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup(s) plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon(s) baking powder
- 3/8 teaspoon(s) salt
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Butter and flour an 8-inch square baking pan.
Chop the 4 ounces of semi sweet chocolate bars into i-inch pieces. In the top of a double boiler or in a heatproof bowl over barely simmering water, melt the 4 chopped chocolate and butter, stirring occasionally until smooth.
Remove the pan from the heat and let cool to room temperature.
Stir the brown sugar and vanlla into the chocolate mixture. Add the eggs and mix well.
In a bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.
Slowly fold the flour mixture into the chocolate mixture, mixing well until blended.
Stir in the chocolate chips and pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a tester comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting into 2-inch squares.
