I love to bake from scratch so that’s why I’m a little embarrassed to admit that when it comes to brownies I usually make them from a box mix. It just seems so convenient to make them from a box and I don’t normally keep cocoa around. But that was before I made this recipe…now I think I need to stock pile cocoa in my pantry so I can make these whenever I want. I was amazed at how simple these were to make & how delectable they were. The first batch of brownies I made disappeared very quickly and I’ve had several requests to make them again. I can safely say this recipe is now my go-to brownie recipe!
The story behind this recipe: I found this recipe at Saltbox House. They are called Lunch Lady Brownies because they really were served in a school cafeteria. This recipe is over 50 years old & comes from a small town in Idaho where these brownies were made in the cafeteria of Bonneville Jr. High school.
- Brownies:
- 1 cup butter, melted (I used salted)
- ½ cup cocoa (I used Nestle Toll House Cocoa)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 eggs
- 4 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
- Frosting:
- ¼ cup butter, softened
- ¼ cup milk or evaporated canned milk
- ¼ cup cocoa
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- dash of salt (if you used unsalted butter)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13" baking pan.
- Melt butter in microwave (takes about 30 seconds) and pour into a mixing bowl, add cocoa and beat with an electric mixer until smooth.
- Add flour and sugar and beat together. Add eggs and vanilla (and nuts if your adding them). Mix until just combined. Be careful not to over mix!
- Pour into greased 9x13 baking pan. *Note* Batter will be thick. I had to use a rubber spatula to spread it into pan.
- Bake 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (Mine took 30 minutes, if you live in high altitude these should get done quicker more like 20-25 minutes).
- Wait only 10-15 minutes to frost brownies, you want to frost them while they are still warm so the brownies can absorb the frosting.
- To make the Frosting combine the ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat until smooth.
PS. If your looking at the recipe and wondering if I left out the baking soda/baking powder from the ingredients list, I didn’t, this recipe doesn’t call for any and trust me it doesn’t need any. :)