Brownies

If you're a Second-Degree Black Belt, and you think it's fun to ride your bicycle 6-1/2 miles to work every day (even at 40F degrees), and more fun to ride 20 miles to visit your friends, and then ride back, then this is the way you eat your brownies. Four of them, with vanilla ice cream.

For us mere mortals, all that's needed is a glass of milk. A pan of these rarely lasts more than 24 hours my house. I likes brownies with nuts, but my son doesn't. The recipe is from my mother's Betty Crocker 1953 Red and White Cookbook.

They are good with whipped cream, too.

Brownies

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

Melt together over hot water:
2 squares unsweetened chocolate (2 ounces)
1/3 cup shortening or butter (5-1/3 tablespoons)

Add to bowl containing these ingredients and mix well:
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
¾ cup flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt

Mix in: ½ cup broken walnuts (optional)

Spread in a well-greased 8” square pan. Bake 30 minutes, until top has a dull crust. A slight imprint will be left when top is touched lightly with fingertip. Cool slightly, then cut into squares.

This recipe doubles easily: put in a 13 x 9 x 2” pan and bake for the same amount of time.