Small Batch Brownies

It was my turn to bring dessert to the family Monday night get together.  Most of the family (except me) eats oatmeal everyday for breakfast to help with their cholesterol levels and general health. I don't because I can't stomach oatmeal without a lot of brown sugar, pecans and raisins - which makes it way too fattening to eat every day.  Anyway, I found a really good ice cream at the Kroger - Denali something or other, their Private Selection brand - and decided to serve ice cream and cookies  - oatmeal raisin cookies to be exact.

I baked the cookies last night and just for interest I threw in 1/2  a cup of chocolate chips. They turned out pretty good. But then about 2:00 this afternoon (Monday is my day off) when I was really, really tired of cleaning house, I decided that ice cream would really be best with some chocolate brownies. 

I checked the pantry and found I had only two squares of semi-sweet baking chocolate on hand.  I checked the Baker's One Bowl Brownie recipe and sure enough, a whole batch took four squares. Stands to reason then that half a batch would take only two squares.  I was right, and they were soooo good.

I really like this half recipe. It made enough for every one to have one good sized brownie and I didn't have to worry about any left overs to tempt me later.

Small Batch Chocolate Brownies

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees

6 tablespoons salted butter

2 squares semi-sweet baking chocolate

1 cup sugar

1 large egg

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup flour

1/2 nuts (walnuts, pecans, chopped almonds or hazelnuts, even peanuts) optional

In a double boiler or a mixing bowl set over simmering water, melt the butter and the chocolate stirring it together.  Remove the bowl from the heat and stir in the sugar, mix well. Add the egg and the vanilla and mix well.  Add the flour and mix well.

Pour the mixture into a greased 9" square pan, and bake 50 minutes.  Cool and cut into nine squares.

You can line the pan with parchment or foil to make it easy to get the whole mass of brownies out of the pan, but make sure you grease the foil.