Small Pan Big Taste Brownies

As I tweeted around about all the action going on in my kitchen, I realized I had never shared my brownie recipe on here. Given the fact that I probably make these once a week (it's a wonder I'm not big as a house), I figured it's about time I shared it with all of you.

Small Pan Big Taste Brownies

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
• 1 T (a splash) milk or heavy cream if you have it handy
  
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• heaping 1/3 (or scant 1/2- whichever you prefer) cocoa powder
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips or chopped candy pieces (Heath are my absolute favorite, but Reeses peanut butter cup, York peppermint pattie, Snickers, and others work well too!)

Melt butter and and milk together over low heat in large, heat-safe bowl. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Add egg, followed by baking powder, salt, and vanilla. Stir in cocoa and, finally, the flour. If using choc chips, stir these into your batter and pour into greased 8" or 9" square pan. If using candy bits, go ahead and dump your brownie batter in a greased 8" or 9" square pan and sprinkle the candies on top. Bake for 20-22 minutes at 350.

Additional notes:

• These are the rich, fudgy kind of brownie- nothing cake-like about these at all.
• I've tried to double this recipe and bake in a 9x13 pan- it did NOT work for me. If you figure it out, please let me know! I HAVE had success with doubling the recipe and baking two pans of it at once- the bonus there is that I can do two different candy types at the same time.
• I've baked these in a 9" round pan before too. They're very pretty and look super rich if topped with ganache and cut into triangles.
• The type of milk you use does not matter one bit in this recipe- there's not enough of it to amount to anything, but I do notice if I leave it out.
• Sifting the dry ingredients together first is the BEST way to go but, in the interest of transparency, I'm letting you know that I very rarely do that. I dearly love the "one bowl, one spoon" nature of this recipe...