Vintage Brownies

I'd passed this old Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook many a time while thumbing through our bookshelf looking for recipes, but never had I opened it, less made one of its recipes. Needless to say, it was long overdue and I had such a fun time looking through it! It's very 1950's housewifey (it was given to my grandmother as a wedding gift in 1952!), containing tips about how to remove odd stains from clothing, style tips, etc... 

{note the reinforcers keeping it from falling apart}

Brownies seemed like a good, simple recipe to try the cookbook out with! They contain shortening instead of butter, which you don't see too often anymore, so I was a bit skeptical at first, but all of that disappeared when I took my first bite! They are the perfect blend of cakey and fudgey with a delicate eggshell kind of crust on top. 

Brownies

1/2 cup of vegetable shortening

2 oz. bittersweet chocolate

3/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350º. Melt the shortening and chocolate in a bowl over simmering water and let cool. Sift flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Beat eggs until light, then add in sugar, whisking lightly until mostly dissolved. Add the chocolate mixture and beat. Add flour mixture and vanilla, beat again. Spread batter in an 8x8 foil covered and buttered pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

{hi, I'm Grace and I like putting things in mason jars}

yours truly,
grace