This is my favorite with a similar name: One Bowl Brownies, but it uses Bakers unsweetened chocolate. I never put nuts in it.

Heat oven to 350°F.

• 1 pkg. (4 oz.) BAKER'S Unsweetened Chocolate
• 3/4 cup butter or margarine
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup coarsely chopped PLANTERS Pecans

Line 13x9-inch pan with Reynolds Wrap® Aluminum Foil, with ends of foil extending over sides. Spray foil with cooking spray.

Microwave chocolate and butter in large microwaveable
bowl on HIGH 2 min. or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is
completely melted. Stir in sugar. Blend in eggs and vanilla. Add
flour and nuts; mix well. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake 30 to 35 min. or until toothpick inserted in
center comes out with fudgy crumbs. (Do not overbake.) Cool completely.
Use foil handles to remove brownies from pan before cutting to serve.

One Bowl Brownies

When you say, "something a bit different from the standards included in most cookbooks", do you mean a light (not heavy and gooey that you can cut shapes out of) brownie, cakey brownie, chewy/fudgy brownie, coconut macaroon brownie, butterscotch brownie, espresso/cappuccino brownie.... They contain everything imaginable, from Chambord-soaked dark cherries to chocolate-covered coffee beans and everything in between. My personal favorite I cover with a thick layer of fudge frosting, OR top with pecan/coconut frosting (often used with a German Chocolate Cake) - in which case the brownie is just the delivery system, not the star event. Do you want the glossy/shiny crust or no crust?

One year I baked a 13x9" pan using this One Bowl Brownies recipe.

http://www.kraftcanada.com/recipes/one-bowl-holiday-brownies-84497

This recipe shows them cut into stars, which are cute for a holiday plate, and you can cut them in any size you like, but I followed the instructions and cut them into 3-inch (at the base) x 3-inchs tall triangles (which then became 21 trees). I drizzled melted white chocolate (4 sq. Baker's Premium White chocolate) on the top of the tree in a zig-zag pattern from the top to the bottom of the tree, inserted a straight piece of a miniature candy cane in the bottom for the tree trunk and sprinkled the crushed bits over the top on the white chocolate (while still soft).

Cappuccino Brownies option: Prepare the One Bowl Brownies recipe as directed, using 4 eggs and 1-1/4 c. flour. Add 3 T. Maxwell House Instant Coffee with eggs and vanilla; omit nuts. Spread batter in pan. Beat 1 pkg. (8-oz.) Philadelphia Brand Cream Cheese, softened, 1/3 c. sugar, 1 egg, 2 T. flour and 1/2 t. ground cinnamon until blended. Spoon over batter. Swirl with a knife to marbleize. Bake 40-minutes.

-Grainlady

I copied this recipe from this site probably 8-10 yr ago. Everyone who eats these brownies swear that they are the best they've ever had. The browned are mixed in the pan in which the chocolate is melted. Cleanup is a breeze!

Triple Chocolate Brownies

1 cup butter
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sour cream (this is optional, make them even more moist)
1 tablespoon instant (espresso) coffee granules (optional) (I use Starbucks
instant coffee) (this just makes the chocolate taste more like chocolate, you
can’t really taste it)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (6 ounces) (I chop semisweet chocolate from a
block of Whole Foods chocolate)
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Glaze

4 ounces chopped bitter or
semisweet chocolate

3 tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare 9x13-inch baking pan: Grease with butter or
spraying with cooking spray, lay a sheet of parchment over bottom and allow to
overlap pan on 2 sides, grease again. Melt butter in a large saucepan. Over low
heat add unsweetened chocolate and stir until chocolate is melted. Remove from
heat, mix in sugar (in saucepan). Add eggs and vanilla, stir until
incorporated. Combine flour, baking powder and salt and stir into chocolate
mixture just till flour is mixed in. Gently stir in sour cream, instant coffee,
1 cup chocolate chips and 1 cup nuts. Spread in prepared pan and bake 30 to 35
minutes just until brownies begin to pull away from the sides. Do not over
bake. Cool on rack for 20 minutes; remove from pan and cool completely on rack.

Melt 4 ounces of chocolate with 1 ½ ounces (3
tablespoons) butter over low heat, stirring until smooth. Spread the glaze evenly over the cooled
brownie.

Marilyn

I love these recipes, thank you! If anyone has more, I would be interested to hear them. Grainlady - Chambord-soaked dark cherries in brownies sounds very special! I'm planning a thin frosting or no frosting, considering the pieces will be small. My imagination fails me in picturing the exact recipe I want, which is why I'm grateful for ideas on what's possible in brownies.

I love Sherry's brownies (sheshebop), she covers them with dark chocolate ganache, I eat them plain. They're just regular brownies, though, nothing unusual, just delicious. I know AnnT has a very fudgy brownie recipe too.

For something different, though, I make these Grasshopper brownies, Ashley loves them:

Grasshopper brownies

Yield: 12 servings

Ingredients:

For brownie base:
3/4 cup flour
1/ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon dark unsweetened cocoa powder (60 - 72%), coarsly chopped
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, cut into 1 inch cubes
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For buttercream:
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 1/2 sticks butter, softened but still cool, cut into small cubes
3 tablepoons creme de menthe
1 teaspoon peppermint extract

For chocolate glaze:
6 ounces good-quality dark chocolate (60-70%) coarsly chopped
1 teaspoon light corn syrup
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened, cut into cubes

Directions:

1. MAKE THE BROWNIE BASE: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

2. Butter the sides and bottom of a glass or light-coloured metal 9-by-13-inch pan. Line the bottom with a sheet of parchment paper, and butter the parchment. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, the salt, and the cocoa powder.

3. Configure a large size double boiler. Place the chocolate and the butter in the bowl of the double boiler and stir occasionally until the chocolate and the butter are completely melted and combined. Turn off the heat, but keep the bowl over the water of the double boiler and add both sugars. Whisk the sugars until completely combined. Remove the bowl rom the pan. The mixture should be at room temperature.

4. Add three eggs to the chocolate/butter mixture and whisk until just combined. Add the vanilla and stir until combined. Do not overbeat the batter at this stage or your brownies will be cakey.

5. Sprinkle the flour/cocoa/salt mix over the chocolate. Using a spatula (do not use a whisk) fold the dry ingredients into the wet until there is just a trace amount of the flour/cocoa mix visible.

6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top with an offset spatula, and bake for approximately 12 to 15 minutes, rotating halfway through the baking time. The brownies should be just a tad underdone (not too gooey, but ideally, just 1 minute from being cooked through completely). A toothpick inserted into the brownies at an angle should contain a few loose crumbs. Remove the brownies from the oven and let cool completely while you make the creme de menthe filling.

7. MAKE THE BUTTERCREAM: In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk the sugar and flour together. Add the milk and cream and cook over medium heat, whisking occasionally until mixture comes to a boil and has thickened, 5 to 7 minutes.

8. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on high speed until cool. Reduce the speed to low and add the butter and mix until thoroughly incorporated. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until filling is light and fluffy.

9. Add the creme de menthe and peppermint extract and mix until combined. If the filling is too soft, chill slightly in the refrigerator and then mix again until it is the proper consistency.

10. If the filling is too firm, place the bowl over a pot of simmering water and re-mix to proper consistency. Spread the filling evenly across the top of the brownie layer and place the pan in the refrigerator, for a minimum of 45 minutes, while you make the chocolate glaze.

11. MAKE THE CHOCOLATE GLAZE: In a large non-reactive metal bowl, combine the chocolate, corn syrup, and butter. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and cook, stirring with a rubber spatula, until the mixture is completely smooth. Remove the bowl from the pan and stir vigorously for 1 minute to release excess heat.

12. Pour the mixture over the chilled creme de menthe layer and use an offset spatula to spread it into an even layer. Place the pan back in the refrigerator for 1 hour, or until the glaze hardens.

13. Remove the pan from the refrigerator, wait about 15 minutes for the glaze to soften slightly, and cut the bars with a warm knife. Cut into squares and serve immediately.

14. The bars can be stored in the refrigerated, tightly covered, for up to 4 days.

Since Amanda was diagnosed as being celiac, one of her biggest craves that she can have are these peanut butter filled brownies:

Peanut Butter Filled Brownies

2 ounces unsweetened high quality chocolate

1⁄2 cup butter

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1⁄2 cup flou

r1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1⁄2 ounce semisweet chocolate (1/2 square)

Filling

1 1⁄2 cups powdered sugar

1⁄2 cup creamy peanut butter

1⁄4 cup butter, softened

2 -3 tablespoons heavy whipping Cream

Glaze

1 ounce semisweet baking chocolate

1 tablespoon butter

Preheat oven to 350.

1. In a small saucepan, melt unsweetened and semisweet chocolates with butter over low heat, set aside to cool slightly.
2. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs and sugar until light and pale colored. Mix in 1 tsp vanilla.
3. Add flour, salt and melted chocolate.
4. Stir to combine.
5. Pour into a greased 9 in square baking pan.
6. Bake at 350 for 20 - 25 minutes or until brownies test done with toothpick coming clean but with moist crumbs clinging to it.
7. Do not overbake.
8. Cool.
9. For filling, add peanut butter and butter in a mixing bowl and mix until thoroughly combined and smooth. Note: You will get a much taller filling (as pictured) if you whip this with an electric mixture to incorporate lots of air.
10. Slowly add powdered sugar, mixture will be a bit crumbly.
11. Blend in cream until mixture is fluffy and reaches desired spreading consistency.
12. Spread over cooled brownies, cover and chill until firm.
13. For glaze, melt chocolate and butter in saucepan, stir until smooth.
14. Drizzle over the filling.
15. Chill well before cutting.
16. Let sit at room temperature for 10 - 15 minutes before serving.
17. You don't want to serve these ice cold out of the refrigerator.

Annie

My favorite is this one from Ina Garten. It makes A LOT so I usually halve the recipe using a 13x9x1 pan. Easy to omit the nuts.

Outrageous Brownies

• 1 pound unsalted butter
• 1 pound plus 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
• 6 ounces bitter chocolate
• 6 extra-large eggs
• 3 tablespoons instant coffee granules
• 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
• 2-1/4 cups sugar
• 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Butter and flour a 12 x 18 x 1-inch baking sheet.

Melt together the butter, 1 pound of chocolate chips, and the bitter chocolate in a medium bowl over simmering water. Allow to cool slightly. In a large bowl, stir (do not beat) together the eggs, coffee granules, vanilla, and sugar. Stir the warm chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and allow to cool to room temperature.

In a medium bowl, sift together 1 cup of flour, the baking powder, and salt. Add to the cooled chocolate mixture. Toss the walnuts and 12 ounces of chocolate chips in a medium bowl with 1/4 cup of flour, then add them to the chocolate batter. Pour into the baking sheet.

Bake for 20 minutes, then rap the baking sheet against the oven shelf to force the air to escape from between the pan and the brownie dough. Bake for about 15 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Do not overbake! Allow to cool thoroughly, refrigerate, and cut into 20 large squares.

Note: Watch the baking time if halving the recipe using a 13x9x1 pan. It will be a little less.