Michigan Cottage Cook: MOM'S CAKE BROWNIES WITH DUTCH COCOA #2

I started typing my family cookbook at least 40 years ago. I typed it on my 1960 Smith Corona non-electric portable typewriter that I had taken to college with me. There was no spell check and white-out was the only way to get rid of mistakes. There are at least 6 editions of the book as I started putting just the ingredients under the titles as I knew how to make everything and I didn't need directions.

My Mom and I on my 10th birthday.

Then my son, Mitchell, said that the cookbook won't help him as there were no directions. Then I decided to antidote each recipe, and on and on. In the early 1980's I bought a used Radio Shack computer and started typing all over again and again. There always seemed to be something to add. My computer used the big disks so when the smaller disks replaced the bigger ones, Mitchell took my disks out to the missile fields to convert them to the smaller disks.

Mom's Brownies with one egg.

http://michigancottagecook.blogspot.com/2011/04/moms-cake-brownies-with-dutch-cocoa.html

Mom's Brownies with two eggs.

This little history is because I am not sure if my Mom's wonderful brownies had one egg or two eggs. I have all the editions in the basement in boxes but I really don't have the time right now to search through them all for the original recipe.

Some of my more modern Droste tins.

My Grand-daughter noticed that in the ingredients one egg was listed. In the directions, it said to add the eggs. I have now made the brownies both ways and they both taste marvelous. The two egg version is more cakey and I think it is my Mom's original version but the whole family loves the version with just one egg too.

MOM'S BROWNIES #2

I probably haven't had my Mom's brownies made by her since the early 1960's so it is hard to remember just exactly which recipe is hers. This recipe looks more how I remember them as they had more height than a regular brownie. What I do remember is that she never used any cocoa for her brownies except Droste's.

1/2 c butter

1 c sugar

2 eggs

2 T cocoa mixed with 1/4 c water
1/2 t vanilla

1 c cake flour

1/8 t baking soda

Ingredients: Cake flour, sugar, Dutch cocoa, baking soda, eggs, butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar.

In a bowl with an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs; beat well. In a little bowl, gradually mix water into cocoa. Add cocoa/water and vanilla to butter mixture; beat well. With a spoon or spatula, mix flour and baking soda together; add to cocoa mixture and stir to mix. Pour into greased or foil-lined 8x8-inch pan. Bake in preheated 325 degree F. oven for 40 minutes. Cool on a rack. When cool dust with powdered sugar. Cut into squares to serve.

I use non-stick aluminum foil to line my pans when I make bar cookies or brownies.

Line pan with non stick side up. Leave "handles" on opposite sides of pan for lifting out the brownie for easy slicing.

Mix flour and baking soda together. Gradually add water to cocoa, stirring to remove any lumps.

Cream butter with an electric mixer until fluffy.

Add sugar and beat well.

Add eggs and beat well.

Add cocoa mixture and vanilla. Mix well.

Stir in flour/baking soda mixture just until moistened and mixed. Bake in preheated 325 degree F. oven for 40 minutes. The two egg brownies take longer to bake than the one egg brownies.