Never-Fail-Always-Perfect Brownies (if only life were like these...)

What a weekend!  It was great to have four law school-free days, but they were definitely jam-packed.  My sister moved down to LA, my friend turned 23, I went to Costco (my fav!), dealt with unnecessary law school section drama, I had a job interview (and got the JOB!) … and, unsurprisingly, managed to do barely any school work.  Oh well.  It happens.  

I think I can finally say that, for the first time in six or so months, I feel like I’m walking on solid ground again.  The start of my law school experience brought with it a multitude of changes—leaving behind my stable life in Seattle and moving to an entirely new state, ending a rather long-term relationship (and subsequently starting a new one…which has also ended), adapting to an entirely new field of study and way of learning, and forming new friendships with so many great people.   Needless to say, it’s been an intense ride filled with extreme highs and devastating lows.   Before I left home last July, I never would have imagined that I’d go through so much in such a short period of time.

But the tumultuous journey that I’ve had since the start of this whole process has only served to make me a stronger person.  I’ve learned to trust myself more.  Life is not predictable and things aren’t always perfect.  I know life’s going to throw me a few (or maybe many) curveballs here and there.  I’m confident that I’ll be able to deal with them just fine…maybe even hit one out of the park :)  I’ve come to realize that the shitty times sure do make those future good days seem that much better.  

When life isn’t predictable, I bake.  I have my go-to recipes—my recipes that always turn out perfectly if I follow just a few easy steps.  These brownies are THE BEST and they’ve never failed me.  So next time you’re dealing with one of those inevitable curveballs, do something that you know you have control over.  For me, it’s stepping into the kitchen and whipping up a batch of Never-Fail-Always-Perfect Brownies. Enjoy.

Never-Fail-Always-Perfect Brownies

(Adapted from Brooke’s Bombshell Brownies @ www.allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter, melted

2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

4 large eggs

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (or any other flavor chip…mint chips are fantastic!)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a 9x13-inch glass baking dish.

2. In a large bowl, combine butter, sugar, and vanilla with a wire whisk until blended. 

3. Add eggs, one at a time, and mix well after each addition. 

4. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. 

5. With a wooden spoon or spatula, add the flour mixture into the butter/sugar mixture until just combined (do not overmix).  Stir in chocolate chips, if desired. 

6. Pour batter into prepared baking dish.  Bake for 30-40 minutes, checking frequently for doneness.  Let them cool for as long as you can stand it…brownies are way easier to cut into squares when they aren’t fresh out of the oven.

Note: Overcooked brownies are just not good (worse than undercooked).  Take them out early if you aren’t sure—can’t go wrong with a gooey, fudgy brownie (but you definitely can with a dry, burnt brownie!).  I usually don’t wait until a toothpick comes out completely clean.  At that point, I’ve found that the brownies end up being too dry for my liking.