Dark Chocolate Brownies

So, today we went to a friend's house for a play date for L. Of course I cannot go anywhere without bringing a dessert of some kind. The ice cream man was supposed to show up for the kids, so I thought I'd make some yummy dark chocolate brownies for the mamas. I used Hershey's Special Dark cocoa (which by the way is a mixture of natural and dutch processed cocoas) instead of regular old natural cocoa. Also, I put in Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate chips. They were quite yummy and a big hit!

A great tip for cutting brownies: use a plastic butter knife. You will get a nice clean cut. I always keep a disposable butter knife on hand to cut my brownies and bars!

Have you ever read a recipe that called for Dutch Process Cocoa? Ever wonder what the difference is? "Dutched" cocoa refers to the process of adding an alkaline to the beans during the roasting process. This process mellows the acidity of the cocoa. When using Dutch Process cocoa, an acid such as baking powder should be used. Can't find Dutch Process Cocoa? Use this substitution:

3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder + 1 pinch (1/8 tsp) baking soda