FUDGEY or CAKEY BROWNIES~~ WHY NOT MAKE BOTH?

Fudgy or cakey... people usually have an opinion one way or another about their favorite way to make brownies.  Brownies come in so many varieties~~with chocolate chips, swirled with peanut butter, frosted, with nuts or without and just plain chocolate.  But texture is what makes the brownie either cakey or fudgey.  So here are two ways to make brownies.  You can swirl or sprinkle in what ever you like to make them even more special!!

CAKEY BROWNIES

Whisk 1 3/4 cups flour, 4 tablespoons cocoa powder, and 1 teaspoon each salt and baking powder in a bowl. Bring 2 sticks butter, 2 1/2 cups brown sugar and 1 cup water to a simmer in a saucepan. Remove from heat and whisk in 6 ounces chopped unsweetened chocolate; cool for a few mins. Whisk in 4 eggs, one at a time, and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Stir in the flour mixture. Spread in the pan; bake 30 to 35 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Coat a 9-by-13-inch pan with cooking spray.
Add the batter and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out almost clean. Cool on a rack, then cut into squares.

FUDGEY BROWNIES

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons butter or margarine
2  cups sugar                                                                                4 eggs

4 teaspoons vanilla
1/2  cup chocolate chips                                                                                       

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 13x9 baking pan. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.
2. In a saucepan, melt butter on low. Remove saucepan from heat; with spatula, stir in sugar, then eggs, 1 at a time, and vanilla until well blended. Stir in flour mixture. Spread batter in prepared pan; sprinkle with chocolate chips.
3. Bake 18 to 20 minutes. Cool brownies completely in pan on wire rack.
4. When cool, cut brownies.

Just a few simple steps...

I've made both these brownie recipes over and over again.  We have a tradition that when it is someone's birthday, they can choose what ever kind of cake (or dessert) they want.  Recently my oldest son requested these brownies (fudge) as his birthday "cake" and I made homemade vanilla ice cream to make brownies a la mode.  The brownies were rich and moist and chewy and the ice cream was smooth and creamy.....a perfect combination!