No one says "Easy as Brownies"

How is it that most things are better home-made from scratch, except brownies? I've had a hard time ever finding a recipe that really beats a good box mix; equal, yes, but not really better. Maybe I'm alone in this, I don't know. Well, sometimes you just need a brownie, so I've been trying to make a Dex+ version. I think this is about try #7. While these have not met my standards of brownie perfection, they definitely satisfy that "I really need a brownie" feeling.

This brownie is very intensely chocolate, and on the bittersweet side. The texture is definitely cakey, although it is also definitely a brownie. The top is shiny, but not wrinkled and cracked like a truly great brownie. Although they were imperfect, they were enjoyed and were excitedly included in school lunches. They will satisfy a brownie or chocolate craving.

Fudge Brownies Dex+

based on KAF Brownies

½ size batch

Ingredients:

• 275 g dextrose
• 15 g sugar
• 2 1/2 tsp Benefiber or similar
• 113 g (1 sticks) butter
• 2 large eggs
• 53 g Dutch-process cocoa (I blend Guittard's Cocoa Rouge & Hershey's Special Dark)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 88.5 g King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 128 g Ghirardelli Chocolate 60% Cacao, chips or chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8x8" pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment if available.
2. In a microwave-safe bowl, mix dextrose, sugar, and Benefiber. Add butter, and microwave until butter has melted.
3. Meanwhile, put the eggs in a mixing bowl, and add cocoa, salt, and baking powder. Mix until smooth.
4. Stir the butter and sugar until well combined. Heat in the microwave until it just barely begins to bubble.7
5. Add the hot butter/sugar/fiber mixture to the chocolate and mix until smooth. Mix in the vanilla and flour, until smooth again.
6. Add the bittersweet chocolate, and stir in until melted.
7. Bake the brownies for about 30 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, or with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. The brownies should feel set on the edges, and the center should look very moist, but not uncooked, and should have some cracks in it.
8. Remove them from the oven. To serve hot, cool about ten minutes before cutting; for a cleaner cut, cool completely first.