Mollie’s Brownies

Author Notes

I’m a purist when it comes to brownies. I don’t believe in adding nuts, chips or frosting. To me, that’s necessary only when a brownie doesn’t have enough flavor to hold its own. I grew up with amazing brownies. They were created by my Great Cousin Mollie, over 50 years ago. I never met her; she died before I was born. Yet, she was a tangible presence in my life, appearing anytime my mother made brownies, and she has continued to appear in all the kitchens of my adulthood. I’m now 42 years old, and I realized I had never tested her brownies against some of the famous ones: King Arthur, Barefoot Contessa, Katherine Hepburn, Cooks Illustrated. Maybe my nostalgia was clouding my judgment & there was a better brownie out there. I decided to get scientific. I made a batch of each & gave my husband & I one of each kind. It was seriously no contest; Mollie’s won hands down. I thought, ‘How is this possible? The others have more chocolate, more butter, more ingredients, or more steps, yet somehow less flavor.’ I think the lesson is that sometimes the simplest recipes are the best.If you’d like Mollie to visit your kitchen, give these simple brownies a go, but don’t let the simplicity of this recipe fool you. They are divine! —Blissful Baker