Ghirardelli Brownies: Oh, How I Love Thee!

The title really does sum up things nicely - Ghirardelli brownies are the best brownies in the business. They are chewy, substantial, and most importantly, intensely chocolate in flavor; they sit in a tier above the competition.

For the amateur cooks, these brownies are easy to make. Ghirardelli, Duncan Hines, Betty Crocker, and the baked goods gang have all produced simplified "instant" brownie mixes in recent years, a savior for time-crunched soccer moms and folks unable to locate the temperature knobs on their ovens.

Per the Ghirardelli box instructions, just mix a little water, oil, egg, and blend until a rich brown batter results; then, simply dump said batter into a lightly greased baking pan, shove it in the oven, and set the timer for forty minutes. It's as easy as that.

With other brownie mixes offering equally basic instructions, taste and texture are the true assessment points distinguishing one brownie mix from another. And Ghirardelli wins on both taste and texture. I have tried the Duncan Hines variety, proudly served them at potlucks and eaten them without hesitation. Betty Crocker, too, makes a fine brownie, and even those low-fat, "No Pudge" brownies are pretty respectable. But there's just something so much more decadent about the Ghirardelli brownie.

I prefer my brownies as baked in the 8 x 8 pan. That way, the brownies have a chewier core and lighter, flakier top. The "Double Chocolate" variety, my mix of choice, includes chips in the powder mix: more texture, more flavor. The flavor is as pleasingly rich as the Ghirardelli chocolate bars, with the added bonus, of course, that the flavor takes the form of a chewy brownie. Brownies are all about the texture, after all - not as soft as cake, not as hard as a cookie; they rest in that wonderful zone between the two extremes.

Bring these brownies to your next gathering; I can almost guarantee that you won't be bringing any home. For a more dressed-up affair, basic vanilla ice cream balances the richness of these brownies perfectly. The box suggests that each pan serves sixteen. At first glance, perhaps that portion size seems modest - after all, isn't dessert a time to splurge? - but, if you're serving these brownies as the finale to a bigger meal, a little brownie goes a long way.

I'd say, "just look for the red box," but so many brands have turned to red's hunger-inducing power as a way to lure prospective buyers. So, just look for the Ghirardelli logo - the scrolled emblem and tough-to-spell name - buy it, and bake.