Boyfriend Birthday Brownies

Betcha can't say that three times fast?

Because I sure can't. 

This past Sunday was my boyfriend's 27th birthday! Birthdays are and have always been a huge deal to me. When I was younger, I knew that when I woke up on my birthday, the traditional Tucker-family birthday sign would be hanging on the mantle, a special birthday breakfast was in store (waffles with strawberries and whipped cream), and I would get a call from my grandmother to sing 'Happy Birthday'. I almost always had a party, usually one that involved a pool (the result of having a birthday in the middle of the hot Oklahoma summers). Birthdays were a little different as I grew older and went to college, especially that monumental 21st birthday, but had no less importance and level of celebration. I love everything about birthdays and feel that they should be celebrated from the moment a person wakes up until they go to sleep!

The most important component of any birthday is the cake (that's my sweet tooth talking) and I wanted to make sure my boyfriend got exactly the kind of "cake" he wanted. I always request a strawberry cake with strawberry icing with strawberries on top, but he wanted plain and simple, delicious chocolate brownies. Feeling the pressure to make these brownies perfect, I turned to a constant source of recipe inspiration and followed this recipe from Smitten Kitchen. 

all images via. Smitten Kitchen

I thought the brownies turned out delicious; dense and flavorful. We even did a comparison taste test between the brownies I had made and the pan that his mom had sweetly made for him to (he had dropped hints to all the right people about his "cake"). He wasn't willing to reveal his thoughts and honestly, I couldn't decide with I liked better. They were both delicious and the perfect way to end the perfect birthday day!

Until the next birthday!

The Best Brownies

I love finding new blogs and recently I have stumbled upon so many great ones that I now spend an extra hour each day reading them and pouring over their archives. Yesterday I found a new food blog, Apt. 2B Baking Co., and I couldn't be happier with my new discovery. Every recipe that I came across on the blog sounded fantastic but I was in the mood for something sweet (shocking) and these brownies were going to hit the spot. And they did. 

This is the only picture of the finished product because they disappeared that quickly! 

Confession: I will admit that have never been the biggest brownie fan. Don't get me wrong, a warm, chocolate dessert sounds fantastic, but if I have other choices like cookies or cupcakes I normally will go for those. These brownies might have completely changed my view on this sweet treat. They were unlike any brownie I have ever tasted with just the right amount of crunchiness on top but the perfect moist choclatey center. Even a day later there is no sign of dryness.  

The second they came out of the oven, had cooled, and I had tried a small bite I began slicing them up and packaging them up to be shared. I know myself well enough that I can't keep an entire pan of the best chocolate brownies in my kitchen!

These brownies were surprisingly easy to make as well. I think the biggest difference is that you melt the bittersweet chocolate and butter over the stove to make that perfect center consistency. The recipe calls for optional cacao nibs to mix in and top the batter, but I threw some semisweet chocolate chips in since I had them on hand. I think that either would be great but I love the addition to a nib or chip to the smooth batter. 

I cannot say enough about how wonderful these brownies are. I highly, highly recommend making them right now, today, tomorrow, and on Valentine's Day because whoever you share them with will love you forever. 

Going to finish off that last bite right now.