Milk Dud Brownies

It only took about 5 dates (if that) for me realize that I didn’t like my future husband’s mother. She was mean, y’all.

No, really. Mean. Also? Scary.

She didn’t like me back, so it’s cool. We pretended to like each other and one day we just kind of meant it. Fake it til you make it, and all that.

All that to say, my mother-in-law knows how to rock the brownies. I once asked for her recipe and, even though this was during the time when we didn’t like each other, she still gave me the recipe.

Her recipe? Buy the cheapest box of brownie mix you can find, prepare it according to package directions, and then remove it from the oven when a toothpick inserted one inch from the edge of the pan comes out clean.

Yeah. The best brownies of my life were from a box. A cheap box, at that. Thank God I wasn’t a food blogger at the time or I would have died from the shame.

I still rely on box mix brownies when I’m in a hurry or just being lazy, but I’ve finally found a homemade version that could totally kick the box mix’s butt. These brownies are so thick, dark, fudgy, and chocolatey. People go a little crazy over them. I dumped in a box of Milk Duds to liven things up a bit. I mean, yes, I could have made homemade caramel and stirred that in, but this is Aiming Low, right? Milk Duds will do juuuuuuuuust fine.

Fudge Brownies with Milk Duds
Recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour

•  1 cup (2 sticks) butter
• 2 1/4 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1teaspoon espresso powder, optional
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 10 ounces Milk Duds (2 movie theatre sized boxes)s

1.Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9×13 baking dish.

2. In small saucepan over low heat, melt butter completely. Stir in sugar and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. Do not allow sugar mixture to boil.

3.  Pour butter mixture into a large bowl or stand mixer, beat in cocoa powder, eggs, salt, baking powder, espresso powder, and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.

4. Stir in the flour and Milk Duds until well combined.

5. Pour into prepared pan and bake for about 30 minutes, until a tester comes out mostly clean. The edges should be set and the center should still look slightly moist, but not uncooked.  Cool on a wire rack.