Brownies

Sometimes an old classic is all you need. I've been revisiting some of my childhood favorites in the last 3 or 4 months for a few reasons. They're cheap, and my kids love them. That's the top two. But, also, my mom always used margarine, so I know that they'll taste okay dairy free, and she wasn't big on cream, cheese, or the like, so most of them are naturally lower in dairy. It's nice to be able to make something that I *know* will turn out. I've made these brownies twice in the last month. They come from the cookbook of my elementary school. We lived at the beach at the time, and our school mascot was a dolphin, hence the name.

This is one of the first recipes I learned to make. I was 9 years old. In the last 25 years, I'll bet I've made these brownies 150 times. Easy. There were years that they were a weekly or monthly treat. It makes me smile to see the splattered page.

But, it really makes me smile to see the pan come out of the oven! So good. So easy. So cheap. You gotta try these.

Brownies
1 stick butter or margarine
6 T cocoa
1 cup sugar
1 egg for fudgey; 2 for cake like
1 t vanilla
3/4 cup flour
1 cup pecans, chopped (this is optional, but a good addition)

Melt the butter (I do it in the microwave). Whisk in the cocoa, then the sugar. Add in the egg, whisking well to combine, then the vanilla. Stir in the flour. The batter will be thick. Bake in a greased pan at 350 for 15 minutes. The center will look like it's not quite set. This is what you want! As they cool, the center will stay fudgey and delicious. If you prefer a more cake-like brownie, cook for 20 minutes, until the center is completely set.

These are so easy! What are you waiting for??