Ghirardelli (Boxed) Brownie Mix
A couple weeks ago, I stopped off at Costco after work. I was planning on picking up some groceries and check out some delicious free samples, when I found myself wandering down the baking aisle (bad habit). It was then that this beautiful box of brownie mix caught my eye.
The best part? I thought that it only came with three brownie mixes. For $7.49 that’s a pretty decent price since most brownie mixes are at least $2.99 at any grocery store. When I got home, I immediately opened the box to make a batch and discovered that there wasn’t just three bags, but four.
Awesome-sauce!
The mix instructions are pretty standard to follow – eggs, water and oil. I couldn’t find my square brownie pan, so I used a round 9″ cake pan instead. One of the options on the side of the box is to make thicker brownies, using two brownie packs instead of one pack. I stuck with the one pack option….for now.
The brownies baked perfectly. They were moist, chewy and definitely full of chocolate. I added the remaining bag of chopped walnuts to the mix, since I love crunchiness in my brownies, but next time I can omit that, as the three kinds of chocolate chips adds enough.
Would I buy this mix again? Heck yes! $7.49 is a great deal, and I don’t always have chocolate squares onhand to make brownies from scratch, so this fits the bill nicely and makes a delicious snack to go with a hot cup of coffee
I’ve tried the Ghiradelli mix before, those brownies changed my life!
To make Death-by-Ghirardelli: For each bag of brownie mix used, substitute espresso coffee for the water, add 1 scant tablespoon 1/2-&-1/2 or heavy cream. Important – use a high quality oil like Grapeseed Oil. Also, use slightly more (2-3 tbsp.) espresso and oil than recipe directs. Whip the coffee, cream, oil, & egg into a froth. Then add dry mix and fold gently for the 40 strokes until ingredients are moistened: do not break the smallish lumps! Pre-spray pan, then dust with unsweetened cocoa powder or, for true javaholics, finely crush a packet of Starbucks Via and it to dust the pan. Use spatula to level the mix in the baking pan, then evenly scatter 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks across top of batter. Use spatula to press chocolate gently below surface of mix. Arrange or scatter 1/2 cup walnut halves across surface, pressing into batter very lightly. Watch your baking time CAREFULLY! Bake the brownies at the recommended temperature but for only 1/2 the time, perhaps 20-25 minutes rather than 40-45 minutes. At the 20-minute mark, test batter 1″ from edge of pan with a sharp, clean knife. The batter should be thoroughly enough baked it will not cling heavily or coat the knife. Remove pan from oven, place entire pan on a cooling rack raised an inch or more above surface, cover pan very loosely with foil. This method allows the brownies to continue baking and then cooling very gradually while a beautiful bubbly baker’s crust forms across the top. Cool the brownies a minimum of 1 hour in a warm kitchen, 1/2 hour in a cold kitchen. Cut, dress, and serve. The most difficult step of this recipe is restraining yourself to only one serving. So don’t restrain yourself, indulge! 🙂
How long do you bake 2 boxes of brownies in a 13 inch pan? Thx!
I’m not sure how long you bake two packs (or boxes) for, since I never get ever around to trying it with the Ghirardelli mix. I haven’t bought it in a while, so I don’t even have a point of reference in my kitchen.