Granny's Brownies

This is really the ideal recipe for a granny! You mix the dry ingredients and keep in a tin at room temperature. Then, for the kiddies or the adults, you use 2 cups mix plus the wet ingredients, and quick as a wink you have a plateful of fresh brownies. I amended the recipe very slightly after Kat's Mom's helpful review, as her tweaks perfected this old recipe! (POSTSCRIPT: Read the last part of Kat's Mom's review: I thought her idea was brilliant! Thanks, Kat's Mom!!)

• Ready In: 55 mins
• Yields: 12-16 cookies

Ingredients

• The dry mixture

• 5  cups sugar
• 3  cups  unsweetened cocoa powder, bitter not sweetened
• 3  cups flour
• 6  teaspoons baking powder
• 1  tablespoon salt

• The wet mixture

• 7  tablespoons  melted butter
• 2  large eggs, largest size, beaten
• 1 -2  tablespoon water
• 1  teaspoon vanilla

• Optional but really makes a difference

• 1⁄2 cup walnuts (optional) or 1⁄2 cup pecans (optional) or 1⁄2 cup  macadamias, broken (optional)
• 1⁄2 cup chocolate chips or 1⁄2 cup  grated chocolate, semisweet

Directions

1. In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients very, very well using a whisk and turning over with a spoon. Make sure the mixture is smooth and without lumps.
2. Transfer to an airtight container and keep at room temperature in a cupboard.
3. Makes 10+ cups dry mixture.
4. To bake a quick batch:
5. Heat oven to 350 deg F/180 deg Celsius. If using a convection/fan oven, lower temperature slightly.
6. Line an 8 x 8" (approx.) square baking dish or tin with foil or non-stick paper, and grease the foil/baking paper as well.
7. Shake the dry mixture in the tin to aerate, then sift 2 cups into a mixing bowl.
8. Combine with the butter, beaten eggs, just enough water* and vanilla, until well blended.
9. *Don't use 2 tablespoons water all at once, as you might not need it.
10. Use your own judgement here: because the dry mixture might have settled and become denser, your wet mixture could be a little dry. Add a teaspoon of water at a time and blend, adding a little more if necessary.
11. At the same time you might be using cup measures smaller than an 8 oz/250 ml measuring cup, in which case do not add the water until you have blended in the eggs and butter.
12. Then use just enough water: you want a firm, smooth, easily spreadable batter.
13. At this stage you add the nuts and chocolate bits, if used. Someone also suggested chopped marshmallows -- I haven't tried that.
14. The chocolate chips or grated chocolate plus nuts put this brownie in a higher league!
15. Spread in prepared pan, and bake about 35 minutes until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
16. Cool on a wire rack and cut into neat bars when cool.