Chocolate-Buttermilk Brownies.

Seeing as how I've been busy this week trying to meet a deadline and get some school done, I haven't had time to scan the bookshelves and write a review so I'm gonna post another favorite family recipe that we made a couple weeks ago {and which of course didn't last very long}. What you'll need to make the brownies is as follows {note: we doubled the batch when we made it}.

2 cups all-purpose flour {you can also use say, half a cup of whole wheat flour and make the rest all-purpose, it's healthier that way}.
2 cups sugar {we like less but whatever}.
1 teaspoon baking soda.
1/4 teaspoon salt.
1 cup butter.
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder.
2 eggs.
1 cup water.
1/2 cup buttermilk {or sour milk if you know how to make it}.
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla.
1 recipe Chocolate-Buttermilk Frosting {which we didn't use, instead we used the Butterscotch Sauce recipe which worked well, we had to use up the leftovers of it anyway! :)}.
1 to 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips {optional}.
1 to 2 cups chopped walnuts {optional}. These last two aren't called for in the recipe but we added them anyway and they made the brownies very good.

The first thing you want to do is preheat the oven to 350 degrees {unless yours is broken like ours or you'd prefer wanting till the last ten minutes of mixing to turn it on like we do} then grease either a 15x10x1-inch baking pan or a 13x9x2-inch baking pan and set those aside. In a medium size mixing bowl stir together the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt then set that aside too; in a medium saucepan combine butter, cocoa powder, and the cup of water. Bring mixture just to broiling, stirring constantly then remove from heat and add the cocoa mixture to the flour mixture, beat with an electric mixer on medium to high speed until thoroughly combined. Add eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla then beat for one minute {or until it looks well mixed}, add the chocolate chips and walnuts which you also want to mix in for about a minute. Note: the batter will be thin {translation: don't panic! ;)}; pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake it {about 25 minutes for the 15x10x1-inch pan and/or 35 minutes for the 13x9x2-inch pan or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, just don't hit a chocolate chip!}. The last thing you want to do is pour the warm Chocolate-Buttermilk Frosting {or whatever topping you happen to decide upon} over the brownies, spreading evenly; the brownies have to cool in the pan on a wire rack for about an hour {think about what happens to a hot cake when it gets cut open too soon!} then cut into bars and enjoy! :)