The problem with testing

So tonight I began my journey to find the perfect fudgy brownie.  I found a few places that have done the work for me, and have tested brownie recipes for me.  I am a fudgy brownie kinda' girl.  So, after agonizing for days over a dozen different recipes, I finally settled on one that I wanted to try.  Now, don't get me wrong.  I have been making brownies all my life. I have good recipes for brownies and people like them.  However, I am a brownie snob.  When I eat a brownie, I want it to be a superior experience.  When you eat a brownie that I bake, I want you to remember it and crave it!

Tonight I baked it.  I followed the recipe to the letter.  Everything looked and smelled delicious.  However, after following the process, which included a  quick freeze cooling to make them more fudgy, I cut them open to reveal that the brownies were not completely baked.  Sigh! 

However, the taste is AMAZING.  I have found a perfect brownie recipe.  They are just sweet enough, have a strong but not overpowering chocolate flavor, and are fuuuuudgy.  I have decided that I need to put a temperature gauge in my oven.  The brownie was supposed to be cooked at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.  I cooked it about 22 minutes, and it still didn't finish out. 

The problem with testing stuff like this though, comes in the ingredients.  Flour, sugar, those are all relatively inexpensive.  But when you start adding the chocolate it gets expensive.  Butter is even expensive in this town.  I need to go to Sam's and check out getting it cheaper!  It's too expensive to buy ingredients in our town and test treats, I am sad to say.  I would love to be able to buy ingredients at reasonable prices in our town. 

I will continue my journey for the perfect brownie later this week.  If we have snow days, there is going to be a LOT of stuff coming from this kitchen.  :)