Big D’s Brownies

Disclaimer: This recipe is not for those who like cake-y brownies. If you like cake-like brownies, this will not scratch your itch. Stay here for ooey-gooey goodness.

This recipe is my grandmother’s brownie recipe. And that may be the first time I’ve ever called her my grandmother. From the time I was young I, and everyone who knew my family, called her “Big D.”

You may now be wondering why exactly I call my mother’s mother a name that’s fitting for a large and intimidating man, so, for those of you who are curious, here goes. She went by her middle name (Ann) from the time she was born. Doris was actually her first name, after her father. When my parents started dating in high school, and my dad found out about this first name she loved to hate, and being the mischief-maker he is, he thought it would be fun to continually remind her of it. And she got a kick out of it. So, “Big Doris” she was.

Under my father’s direction, my first words to my grandma were calling her “Big Doris,” but when that proved to be too many syllables for a small child, it got shortened to “Big D” … or “biddy” at the time, but I had it mastered by the time my brother came around and it stuck. From addressing  letters to a presentation at her funeral, she was never referred to as anything else by my family and friends.

I spent many days after school with her cooking and baking before I even had fine motor skills developed enough to be of any use. I have so many wonderful memories of baking and coming up with recipes with her. The brownies are uncomplicated and straightforward, just like Big D. Don’t let that fool you into thinking that they aren’t wonderfully delicious, because the woman couldn’t cook or bake anything that wasn’t. Now that you have the entire story, let’s get down Big D’s brownies!

You’ll need:

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs (well beaten)
5-6 T cocoa
pinch of salt
3/4 cup flour

Preheat the oven to 350.  Cream the butter and sugar.  Add eggs and cocoa, stir to combine.

Add salt and flour and stir.  Bake in 8 X 8 pan (greased and floured)  for 35-40 min.

Though you don’t need to add anything, I think it’s always fun to add some toppings if not just for a pop of color! From nuts to a peanut butter and powdered sugar icing, I love to top brownies with whatever strikes me.  I added some fudge icing and sprinkles since I was taking these to a family-filled event. What are your favorite brownie toppings?

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