Comments on: Brownies: Boxed vs. Scratch

By: Lynn

Lynn — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 15:44:05 +0000

I read that article as well and found it fascinating. I haven’t tried the recipe yet, but I LOVE boxed brownies!

By: Lilia

Lilia — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 03:22:54 +0000

I am TERRIBLE at making brownies from scratch. So much so that my little girls, 10 and 5, have asked me not to make them! So I stick with the box mixes and they’re delicious. My favorite are Ghirardelli with walnuts brownie mix (made some heart shaped ones this weekend) and the Betty Crocker Hershey’s Peanut Butter supreme brownie mix. Delish! I use 3 eggs instead of 2 to make them more fluffy. I don’t like them dense and fudgey.

By: meg

meg — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 15:30:03 +0000

I always go with boxed. Always. I think my brain has permanently marked brownies from the mix in the “why mess with a good thing?” category. (That having been said, I usually doctor up my brownies. So much for not messing with ‘em!)

By: Breanna

Breanna — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 14:19:20 +0000

Does the Ghirardelli have hydrogenated oil? That is the only reason I avoid boxed mixes. I get rave reviews for this recipe http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Vegan-Brownies/Detail.aspx. I replace the water with vanilla soy milk, and replace 1/2 of the oil with soy milk as well. Super moist and delish.

By: SunnyInspiration

SunnyInspiration — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 05:28:45 +0000

What a fun idea, Kel (and a yummy Valentine’s treat!). (My opinion doesn’t count here, because with the good selection of boxed cakes and brownies, I don’t find the need to make them from scratch. hehee)

By: Eva

Eva — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 03:08:26 +0000

I love box brownies for their cake-yness, but I can’t have them anymore because of my corn allergy. I’ll have to add the CI version to add to my list of recipes to try.

By: Junie Moon

Junie Moon — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 14:32:24 +0000

Your brownie project is fun, delicious, and offers a challenge. Great job! By the way, I do indeed love that magazine; each issue offers new skills to learn and some outstanding recipes.

By: Gracie

Gracie — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 13:22:55 +0000

When cooking brownies I always use boxed mix, but we don’t have the same brands as you have in the states, so I guess my reply is useless…..but I’m glad your roomate is back!

By: Gary

Gary — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 05:47:37 +0000

Ghiradelli brownies are the best! Laura just made a batch of them yesterday.

By: finnyknits

finnyknits — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 01:40:14 +0000

Boxed brownie mixes were my go-to until I found that recipe in Shape a few years back that uses Greek yogurt in place of butter and is, how shall I say it, EROTICALLY DELICIOUS.

I was tempted to try this recipe in my own issue of CI, but went for the boring “Pan Seared Chicken Breasts”. What’s wrong with me?

They look lovely – I like the idea of a brownie-off. Fun

By: rohanknitter

rohanknitter — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 23:08:19 +0000

I RARELY use mixes for baking, the one exception being brownies…..I LOVE those Ghirardelli mixes and I haven’t made brownies from scratch in ages.

By: Julia

Julia — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 22:18:46 +0000

My thoughts? You are brilliant! What a clever idea.

By: Sue at nobaddays

Sue at nobaddays — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 21:29:31 +0000

I’m a big Ghirardelli’s box brownie fan (), but I go for their walnut brownie mix.

By: Jen

Jen — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 20:09:23 +0000

I also love the Ghiradelli brownie mix, I can get a big box at Costco, add chopped walnuts and everyone loves them. Easy! Brownies are pretty much the only thing I ever bake from a mix. Every time I try brownies from scratch they are sub par…too soggy in the middle, burnt on the edges, a lot of work and $ for pure disappointment. I love the idea of homemade, but have never taken the time to get the perfect brownie recipe down. I have my eyes on this one though: http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/000041.html

By: alisha

alisha — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 18:51:20 +0000

I’ve always been a boxed mix fan when it comes to brownies. Like someone else mentioned, I use two boxes in a 9×13 pan for thick and chewy brownies. But when I moved to Austria I had to find a recipe because they don’t have boxed mixes here. The best recipe I’ve found is Brooke’s Best Bombshell Brownies on AllRecipes.com (http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Brookes-Best-Bombshell-Brownies/Detail.aspx). I’m really curious about the ingredients in CI. $6 a pan is pretty costly.