Seven Arguments For Boxed Brownie Mix

Hello.

Did you know that I work in pastry?  I can make some of the most delicious, decadent and beautiful desserts you can imagine.  I don't bake at home a lot anymore, but when i do I usually like to make brownies.

Brownies are a highly opinionated topic.  Most people know exactly what they want in a brownie and most of the time there are two teams.  Team Fudgy or Team Cakey. I am a card carrying member of Team Fudgy.  My brownies will not be iced either, they should have a crackly top.  You know what I mean?

I have a secret though: I prefer boxed brownie mix.  

I've made every brownie recipe you can imagine.  I even tried creating my own.  It is just not possible to mimic the taste of the boxed brownie mix.  Once I resigned myself to being an embarrassment to my industry, I set out to find the perfect box of mix.  I bought and made them all.  Expensive and cheap.  Gourmet and simple.  Add water as well as the add everything boxes.  Low and behold I found a winner.  

The Chosen One

This is it ya'll.  Betty Crocker Fudge Brownies.  Trick is making the 9x13 batch in an 8x8" pan.  Thick. 

Seven Arguments For Boxed Brownie Mix(from a pastry chef):

• Cost.  This box of mix retails at $1.99.  I have found them on sale for $0.89 though, and that is when I buy my supply for the year.  You can't beat that!
• Ingredients.  To make brownies from scratch you need butter, flour, eggs, chocolate, cocoa powder, sugar and maybe even more things.  Most people don't keep all of this on hand.  It can also be expensive to buy these things since chocolate and cocoa are not cheap!  The box only requires eggs, oil, and water.  Most people I know have these three items at all times, and they are affordable.
• Time.  It takes 5 minutes to mix the batter, and 30-45min to bake.  Quick!  Scratch brownies take eons because you are scaling out every ingredient.  At work it takes me about 20min to get brownies in the oven and 60min or more to bake...
• Texture.  Boxed brownies are soft and dense and fudgy but they hold their shape.  I could never find a recipe that had the proper texture.  Maybe its all the chemicals.  If so, I love chemicals.
• Flaky Top.  I don't eat brownies that don't have that flaky top.  You know the one that looks as dry as the Sahara?  Makes the brownie for me.  
• Consistent.  When you make a recipe from scratch there are a lot of variables and your finished products can often vary from batch to batch.  Boxed mix will be the same every. single. time.
• The Yummy Factor - With a cold glass of milk, nothing beats a warm brownie.  They are just plain yummy.  Anyone who disagrees with that is no friend of mine.

Do you have a favorite boxed mix?  Arguments for me?  Are you disappointed in me?

PS Herc made a spotify playlist for brownies!  He's cool like that Spot the brownies!