I have a ridiculous sweet tooth. I admit it. I’ve tried to curb it, but it always gets the best of me. I love sugar. Any kind of sugar. I’m not picky. But, as you might imagine, maple is my favorite sweetener.
We are always looking for ways to adapt recipes to use maple as a healthier alternative to replace refined cane sugar. We’re also huge fans of recipes that are flexible and forgiving. Baking in our house is not an exact science. We particularly like recipes that provide some general guidance when we bake, but allow us to be creative.
I believe that anyone can be a successful baker. When you approach baking from a “What’s the worst that can happen?” perspective, it is much more relaxing and fun. Really, what’s the worst that can happen? You have to throw away a batch of something and start over. No big deal!
Most people love brownies. There’s a gigantic market for boxed mixes that are quick and easy. We were fortunate enough to inherit a brownie recipe that is just as quick and easy as those boxed mixes, made from scratch and soooo delicious! We are asked all the time to share it with friends and family. We have tweaked this recipe in so many ways and eventually landed on the idea of making it maple. If you’ve never had a maple brownie, now is your chance.
This is a ONE BOWL, 5 INGREDIENT recipe. For real.
We use an old Pampered Chef glass measuring bowl because it can go in the microwave. If you don’t have a glass bowl, try to use something else that can be microwaved so that you can have the one bowl experience, too.
Ingredients:
4 ounces white/vanilla baking chocolate
2 sticks of butter
2 cups maple syrup (the darker the syrup, the stronger the maple flavor)
4 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
Begin by melting the chocolate and the butter in the microwave. Ours takes about 3 minutes, but times will vary based on your bowl and microwave. Give the mixture a stir with a rubber spatula or whisk when you’re finished to blend the chocolate and butter together until smooth.
Now add the maple syrup. It’s better if it’s cold. You want the cool syrup to reduce the temperature of the chocolate and butter mixture before you add in your eggs so they don’t cook.
Stir the syrup into the butter and chocolate mixture and then add all four eggs. Mix until the batter is smooth.
Mix the flour in with the other ingredients and that’s it! Batter is finished.
Pour the mixture in a greased 9×13 pan and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean and the edges begin to turn golden.
Let the pan of brownies cool for a few minutes on the counter before eating them, if you can hold off that long. You don’t want to burn your mouth!
This recipe can take as few as 5 minutes to prepare and you can have warm, rich, maple brownies ready to eat in less than an hour. Yum yum!
