Classic Fudge Brownies a La Mode

If you're still looking for something sweet to make for Valentine's Day (which is this Friday, yay!), I've got the perfect thing for you. Last week I mentioned that we had a last minute date night at home. We ordered take out from a great italian place, put the toddler to bed early, lit some candles, and ate in our dining room. It was perfect, low-key, and exactly what we needed.

We decided to do this about two hours before we normally eat, so I went to see what we had in the pantry o and for dessert. I always keep the essentials well stocked- flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and chocolate chips. Chocolate chips are a necessary staple in our house. I saw that we also had cocoa powder and semi-sweet chocolate. All the things you need to make brownies!

I got to work and the brownies were in the oven in no time. Miss A ate her dinner while I measured, poured, and stirred. I checked to see if we had ice cream in the fridge and wouldn't you know it, we did! Brownies a la mode, my husband's favorite dessert. Seriously, he wants to order it every time he sees it on a menu when we go out. Me, I like to get something I wouldn't normally make at home, like cheesecake or something. Anyway, I knew he'd be thrilled to have it at home.

I've made these brownies twice before, and I have to say, they are definitely my go-to recipe. They're everything you want in a brownie- fudgy, chocolatey, and not too rich. A great dessert for Valentine's Day, or any special occasion, like a random Tuesday night!      

Source: adapted from Cooking Light

3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chunks (that you see for baking)
1/3 cup milk
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 350.  Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add 1/2 of the bittersweet chocolate and milk in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at HIGH for 1 minute, then stir. Microwave on HIGH again for 30 seconds, then stir. Chocolate needs to be completely melted before you can move on to the next step, microwave more if needed. 

Pour the melted chocolate into the dry ingredients. Add the butter, vanilla, eggs, and the rest of the chocolate chunks into the bowl and stir until all is combined. Pour the batter into a 9-inch square metal baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake for 22 minutes, brownies are done when a toothpick inserted comes out clean, or with a few crumbs.