There are two recipes on this page. I’ve been wanting a from-scratch brownie recipe because up until now, I’ve never actually made brownies that weren’t from a box mix. And I’ve been holding onto an heirloom recipe by Marjorie Helgemo from The Woodland Chapel Cookbook, printed sometime after 1988.

Marjorie’s recipe is not what’s in the photo above. I looked at this one, and then I wasn’t sure what she meant by “2 squares chocolate” — how big are the squares? What kind of chocolate? This is something that trips me up with a lot of older recipes. To be fair, I’m guilty of giving similar measurements in some of mine, though I’m trying to get past that. The recipe I made is further below.

Marjorie Helgemo’s version:
1 stick butter
2 squares chocolate
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. nuts, chopped

Melt the butter and chocolate together. Add the other ingredients. Bake at 350F 15-20 minutes in an 8 x 8″ pan. Do not overbake. 

Dark Fudge Brownies
The version that I actually made! I was inspired by this recipe, which makes a half-sized portion that is surprisingly very specifically for a 9 x 9-inch pan (which I don’t have). I used dark cocoa, which is why it looks so dark in the photo. You can use espresso powder, though when I went to make these I realized my espresso powder had gone bad, so I replaced it with more cocoa, and it worked just as well this way. These are indeed dense and fudgy, very rich and delicious.

They would be delicious without the caramel frosting, but I also wanted to try out an heirloom recipe for it as well, and they go pretty well together!

2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 c. unsweetened cocoa powder (dark if you can find it)
2 tsp. espresso powder (or replace with more cocoa)
1.5 c. unsalted butter (this will be melted so it’s okay if it’s not softened)
1/4 c. neutral oil
2 + 2/3 c. sugar, divided
4 eggs + 2 egg yolks
1.3 tbsp. vanilla
1.5 c. chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F.

Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Spray lightly with non-stick baking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, cocoa, and espresso powder. Set aside. 

In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, oil, and 2/3 cup of the sugar. Heat over medium heat, stirring frequently, until butter is completely melted. Remove from heat. 

In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, egg yolk, vanilla, and remaining sugar. Whisk until well combined, about 30 seconds. 

Slowly, pour the warm butter mixture into the egg mixture, adding it just a little bit at a time, and whisking constantly until completely combined. 

Add in the dry ingredients, then the chocolate chips and, using a rubber spatula, slowly stir until just combined. Be careful not to overmix — stop stirring when you see the last trace of dry ingredients. Overmixing will give you cakey brownies. 

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. 

Bake for 30 minutes or until the edges are firm and the top is shiny and slightly cracked. Cool on a rack before frosting or slicing.