Easy Go-To Brownies - a Family Recipe

I know most people have a go-to recipe they can whip up at a moment's notice.  Often, it seems to be some sort of cookie (and really, who doesn't love a good cookie?!), but my preferred cookies are too time consuming.  I do, however, love chocolately, fudgey brownies - they are my favorite!  Growing up, my mom had a recipe box filled with index cards of family recipes.  One of those was my aunt's brownie recipe that I would reach for time and time again.  Simple ingredients, one bowl, and delicious results - not much more is needed!

Yum!

The Ingredients

The Necessities...

• 3/4 Cup Cocoa Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
• 2/3 Cup Vegetable Oil
• 1/2 Cup Boiling Water
• 2 Cups Sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 1 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
• pinch of Salt
• Chocolate chips, walnuts, pecans, and powdered sugar (all optional)

From here its easy, and at this point in my life I've made them so many times that I could practically do it with my eyes closed!  I first combine the water, oil, eggs, and sugar.  Then I add the flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt and vanilla and thoroughly mixed it up.

One Bowl!

Now, I normally just bake it all from here, but I decided I would add a bit more chocolate in - never hurt, right?!  You could also add you favorite type of nut, like pecans or walnuts - whatever you would like!

Chocolate Chips

I sprayed a 9 x 13 inch baking dish, poured in the batter and put the dish into a 350 degree oven for about a half hour.

baking...

Cooling...

Once done and cooled, I sprinkled some powdered sugar over the top and they were ready to go!

So good!

Fudgey Delicious!

Now, I have always thought I did a pretty good job with these.  For me though, when I brought the entire sheet of these to a friend's house on Saturday night and they disappeared I gave myself a pat on the back.

With a simple brownie recipe like this, you can adapt it in so many ways - bacon burbon brownies perhaps?

What's your go-to recipe?