After discovering this recipe, I pretty much have sworn off "boxed" brownies --

The recipe is one I adapted from The Great American Bake Sale (Bangor Big Fat Fudge Brownies) by Alison Boteler (Barron's 1991).

This made-from-scratch version is basic, easy. What can I say? No special skills needed! I mean -- can you crack an egg, measure and stir?

The original recipe is indulgent (and SO worth trying!).

But there I was feeling guilty about all the butter so I reduced the amount (from ¾ cup to ¼ cup) and replaced it with ½ cup applesauce.

The butter and sugar seem to rise to the top to make a delicately crunchy "crust." It's a must -- you need to try it.

Serves	16
Prep time	10 minutes
Cook time	40 minutes
Total time	50 minutes
Allergy	Egg
Meal type	Dessert
Misc	Child Friendly
Occasion	Casual Party
Brought to you by	The Recipe Wench - www.therecipewench.com
From book	The Great American Bake Sale

I discovered these brownies in 2004 and haven't made a boxed brownie since!

½ cup Unsweetened applesauce (I use the 3.9 oz. individual container and that is fine)
¼ cup Unsalted butter, melted
1-½ cup Sugar
2 Teaspoons Vanilla extract
3 Eggs
¾ Cup Flour
½ Cup Unsweetened cocoa powder
½ Teaspoon Baking powder
½ Teaspoon Salt

The original recipe calls for 1-½ sticks of butter. I substitute ½ cup applesauce and ¼ cup butter, but the original recipe is wonderful too!

Step 1
Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC )
Step 2
Cream together applesauce, butter, sugar and vanilla in medium bowl.
Step 3
Add eggs and mix.
Step 4
In separate bowl, stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt.
Step 5
Add dry mixture to applesauce/butter/sugar/egg/vanilla mixture. Stir just until mixed.
Step 6
Spread batter into 8-inch square pan. (I like to spray the pan with Pam first, for easy release.)
Step 7
Bake approximately 40 minutes until brownie starts to pull away from sides and toothpick inserted in middle comes out (mostly) clean! If the corners of your brownies start to darken too much, just lay a sheet of foil loosely on top to prevent further browning.
Step 8
Cool completely and cut into squares. (It may be helpful to dip the knife into water prior to cutting to prevent the browning from sticking to the knife.)