brownie bake-off

If you looked up uncompetitive in the dictionary, I would be so not competitive I wouldn’t even care that my picture wasn’t in there as the definition.  After we learned square dancing in elementary gym class I spent the next ten years of PE moving as little as possible and staring into space (except for the one day a year we got to use those wheely things.  If all sports involved rolling around on wheely things I might have become the Bobby Fisher of sports and this blog would not exist*).  But basically no sports involve scooting around on a tiny platform, so I turned to baking as a way to let off steam, and this blog about a brownie bake-off does exist! 

When it comes to baked goods, “best” does matter.   No food blogger worth her kosher salt would ever title a blog  “the kind of ok pumpkin cake.”  No, every single recipe on a food blog is the world’s most ultimate, most “bestest”, most life changing version of whatever food they are talking about.  In the world of food blogs. the competitiveness is palpable, and yet, in an apparent contradiction, every recipe seems to be a winner.

But not today, and not here.  We pitted a classic brownie recipe against a trendy kid on the block, gluten-free recipe to see who would come out on top.  Who would get labeled the most ultimate, most “bestest”, most life changing version of one of the most loved bakes in America, the brownie.  The ultimate version of the ultimate comfort food.    Add one cup of superlatives and this blog is done!

Make both yourself, and let us know what you picked.  While my mom swore at one point the gluten-free were the best brownie she had ever had, when tasted side by side with classic, it did not come out on top, and classic won for best texture, best taste, best chocolaty smell and for easiest to cut, and the next day teh rankings were the same.  So, there was a clear winner, and it was classic.   But you know, maybe next week a new recipe will knock this one off its perch.  That being said, this classic brownie recipe has the perfect ratio of flour to chocolate to eggs to butter.  It has a wonderful texture and feels like a true brownie.  The gluten- free version is also a very reliable, very delicious brownie.  Maybe there really are no losers here, just really happy tummies.  If you have a must try brownie recipe you would like matched up against the current brownie champion, let me know in the comments!

*note the lack of even knowing a famous name from sports to use in this metaphor.  Told ya I’m the most un-competitive person ever.

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