Brownies-Ooey Gooey Goodness

Usually, I'm not a brownie person.  But this recipe from baking class really became memorable for me.  Not just because these brownies are moist and chock full of chocolate yumminess, but because trimming the brownie edges caused me to end up in the emergency room!!  I was more embarrassed than anything.  It all happened so fast.  The brownies had been cooling and so we were ready to trim the edges and portion out the pieces.  As I was trimming my knife slipped and got me good in the thumb.  I didn't think it was that bad, but it got serious and my instructor said we'd have to either call an ambulance or have someone take me.  I opted for the latter choice since I didn't really want to pay for the ambulance fees.

My boyfriend was actually at a gig and so I had to make him miss his set at the comedy club which I felt horrible about, but I was a damsel in distress!  Of course, he was terribly concerned and didn't bat an eyelash when I called him.  He scurried right over to campus to scoop me up and take me to the hospital to get some stitches. 

While waiting in the waiting lobby for an available doctor, two kids sitting with their ailing father were staring at my hand wrapped in towels.  I could tell they were curious.  Finally, the younger one actually came over and asked me what was wrong with me.  I smiled and sighed, "Brownies, kid.  The brownies got me."

Killer Brownies

Ingredients
6 oz butter
4 oz chocolate chips, melted
1.5 lb sugar
1.25 oz honey
5.5 oz shortening
5 eggs
1.5 oz water
11.25 oz cake flour
2 oz cocoa powder
2.25 tsp salt
7 oz pecans, chopped (optional)
3 oz chocolate chips (optional)

1) Melt chips and butter.  Blend together and set aside
2) Cream sugar and shortening together
3) Add eggs to sugar/shortening mixture.
4) Blend in chocolate to mixture.
5) Sift dry ingredients together and add to mixture.
6) Add nuts and chocolate chips if desired.
7) Pour batter onto greased half sheet pan and bake at 350F for about 30-45 minutes.
8) If you want to be fancy, after the brownies have baked and cooled, you can whip up a quick ganache.  Heat up 6 oz of heavy cream in a saucepan.  Once it reaches a boil.  Remove from heat and mix in 12 oz chocolate chips.  Mix until well incorporated.  You can spread this on top of a nice gooey brownie topping.