There’s no shame as a baker in using boxed brownies, in my opinion.  I love the taste and have baked plenty of batches and made every kind of variation with the mixes.  In fact, when I bake brownies from scratch, I usually compare them to boxed mixes when deciding how well I like the recipe.  I have made countless varieties of homemade brownie recipes from extravagant to simple.  This recipe would fall into the latter category and if you want a quick and tasty brownie fix, this one is definitely worth trying.

Brownies with Pecans

• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Mix sugar and butter together in stand mixer, and add each ingredient in order until everything is added.  Spray 8-inch square pan with Baker’s Joy, then spoon brownie batter into pan.  Bake at 350F degrees for 30 minutes.  Cool then cut into 16 pieces.

I used special dark cocoa powder in these, but have made them with regular cocoa powder successfully too.