Kip's Brownies: The Mix

Cheap Eat Challenge Count Down: 15 days

The first gift my husband ever gave me when we were dating was a plate full of brownies. At that point in my life, I rarely ate sweets at all and, perhaps because of this, when I did I was happy with any old boxed sugary whatever that someone made. But those brownies that Kip gave me, even to my untrained, unrefined tongue, were something different. Something special. Apparently (four kids later) that theme continued throughout our courtship.

This year I wanted to give them as a mix. Which is easy to do. Because homemade brownies are embarrassingly easy to make. They come with a warning, however: If you get used to them, you might start turning your nose up at the stuff that comes from a box. Turns out that homemade brownies, like marriage, kids, and love, are one of those things you can't really return from, one of those things you get used to in your rich, sweet, homemade life, and you never want to do without. But I think that's a gift worth giving.

Kip's Brownie Mix
Makes 16

Note: Kip would be disappointed I'm giving you the 8x8 inch recipe. He always doubles it. Because that's the kind of love we have in this house. True love. Chocolate love. Big love. Double the love.

1/2 C cocoa
1 C sugar
3/4 C flour

dash salt

1 C chocolate chips (optional)

Put mix in a Ziploc bag and shake it up. If you want to doll it up by putting it in a jar or some such thing, go for it. Below is how mine would have looked if I wasn't trying to be cute for this blog. Trying, being the key word there.

Note: If you expect it to be eaten within a month or so, you can even add the butter (1 stick) to the mix in chunks. (To prepare with butter in, you'll probably have to beat with beaters or a stand mixer. It would also be helpful to soften it by throwing the mix in the microwave for 20 seconds or so.) When I put mine in the mason jar, I actually smashed the butter on the bottom of the jar and then cut out a circle of parchment paper to go on top of it--the idea being that the recipient of the gift can dump the mix out and then melt the butter in the jar in the microwave. This, I should note, is an untested theory. After Christmas, I'll let you know how it went.

The order in my mason jar (mine was a little less than a quart because it's a weird size) went like this:
butter, 1/2 C sugar, cocoa, flour, 1/2 C chocolate chips, 1/2 C sugar

To prepare: (Be sure to include instructions if you're giving these away):

Add:

1 stick (1/2 C) melted butter (unless it's included in the mix)

2 eggs

Mix together and pour into a greased 8x8 inch pan. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Or--if you've included the butter in the mix:

Pour mix into bowl. Heat in microwave 20 seconds. Beat in 2 eggs.
Pour into a greased 8x8 inch pan. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes.

PRINTABLE RECIPE