First Match: BROWNIES

Contenders: Betty Crocker (all boxed up) v. Beth (with some help from HERSHEY'S!)

*baking soda not used!

This past Monday actually marked the first night that my kitchen would host a battle between desserts! So, let me give you a little background on the contenders...

CONTENDER 1: I decided on Betty Crocker's Fudge Brownies (about $1.20 for the boxed mix). The box, by the way, boldly declared its contents as "America's Favorite" brownies in the top right-hand corner...so, was I intimidated? OK, maybe a little, but I'm here to do some very important investigative work and so, it just made me more eager to see if they would live up to their reputation!

Betty's brownies were easy and familiar to make...pour the packaged mix into a bowl, add water, vegetable oil, and crack 2 eggs...then stir...and VOILA! I poured the batter into a sprayed pan and about 31 minutes later, I had the rich, chocolate-colored and glossy-topped pan of brownies I expected from Ms. Crocker.

CONTENDER 2: I wanted to pick a brownie recipe from scratch that would be able to really give Betty a run for her spatula...and so a familiar, chocolatey name came to mind...Hershey's. I went on Hershey's Web site and found the recipe for their "HERSHEY'S Best Brownies" (recipe at end of the post)

To be expected, Hershey's recipe made me work a tad harder for that pan of chocolate-battered goodness...

STEP 1: Melting two sticks of butter in the microwave...WARNING: the butter really doesn't take too long to melt (if Betty Crocker had been in that kitchen doing battle with me, she would have been in hysterics watching my sticks of butter puff into a cloud-like formation in the microwave, after the 1:30 minute mark...I admittedly peeked around my apartment just to make sure nobody really saw). But, all was well, and I rescued the bowl out of the microwave, the butter settling quietly down into a puddle formation in its bowl.

STEP 2: Add sugar, vanilla, and stir. (easy!)

STEP 3: Add 4 eggs, one at a time (this is double the amount of eggs you add to Betty's recipe)

STEP 4: Add cocoa powder, then flour, baking powder, and salt (swirling until it resembles a familiar brownie batter consistency)...you can add nuts, I personally don't like them in my brownies...though walnuts would probably be a good choice.

*NOTE: NO BAKING SODA in this recipe...I always read recipes quickly and grab for the soda and powder, so excuse it from the picture...the baking soda never actually made it into my brownies : )

STEP 4: Pour batter into greased pan and bake about 32 minutes.


You can see the comparison below: Betty Crocker's brownies (on left in both pictures) are a more rich, chocolate color with a glossy top, while HERSHEY'S brownies (on right in both pictures) turned out to be a lighter brown color, with a cake-like top and consistency.

VERDICT IS IN:

In a pinch, Betty will do...but if you really want to do it right, let Hershey's recipe put a smile on your face.

I decided to bring a pan with both types of brownies to my softball game on Tuesday night. The taste testers weren't told which brownies were from scratch and which were from a box. Interestingly enough, many could tell just by looking at the brownies which were which.

Some liked Betty's brownies because their appearance and taste were "familiar," while others preferred the texture and full-bodied cocoa taste of Hershey's recipe.

It seemed to be a toss up. Many said both were delicious in their own ways...different chocolate taste and different consistency from one another.

I personally found Betty's recipe to be yummy because I really enjoy the flaky top (though, I'm not quite sure what's in the mix that makes this happen!), but the mix always seems to stick to the back of my throat. I found Hershey's recipe tasted like fudge and had more substance. Hershey's brownies actually came out thicker, even though I used the same sized pan for each.

In the end, homemade won me over, but it's clear that in a rush...Betty's familiar recipe would still win the stomachs of her many, dedicated indulgers.


WHAT'S NEXT: Now that I've done battle with chocolate batter...I think a recipe involving lemons would be a nice way to freshen up my oven...

-Beth from Baltimore

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The Featured Recipe in this Blog Post:

HERSHEY'S Best Brownies (found at: http://www.hersheys.com/)

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine

2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 eggs
3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa or HERSHEY'S SPECIAL DARK Cocoa
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)


Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 13x9x2-inch baking pan.

2. Place butter in large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at Medium (50%) 2-2:30 minutes or until melted. Stir in sugar and vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well with spoon after each addition. Add cocoa; beat until well blended. Add flour, baking powder, and salt; beat well. Stir in nuts, if desired. Pour batter into prepared pan.

3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Frost if desired. Cut into bars. About 36 brownies.