I was sitting in my apartment yesterday, wondering what do for my friend’s birthday today. Cake and cupcakes seemed cliché and I’d just made a batch of cookies (and already eaten most of them . . .). There was only one solution.

Brownies.

As I thought more about it, brownies made more and more sense! Ihave yet to make them, they’re similar to cake, and they require no forks. Perfection.

My boyfriend likes these, but I wasn’t very fond of the bottoms. I think I might have sprayed to much PAM in the pan before I baked them. It’s understandable in my case considering I’m always scared things will stick, be ruined, I’ll cry, there will be much drama, etc. etc. etc. Turns out it doesn’t even matter. The birthday boy loved them

I wish I’d had my camera when he showed up in his birthday hat. It was, in one word, amazing.

Simple Chocolate Brownies

(from 101 things to do with Cake Mix)

Ingredients:

1 box of chocolate cake mix

2 eggs

1/3 C vegetable oil

1 C mini chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Mix all the wet ingredients together. This will ensure the eggs are incorporated properly.

2. Add the cake mix. Dough will be stiff.

3. Push dough into a 9 x 13 inch pan. Sprinkle dough with mini chocolate chips.

4. Put in the oven for 12 to 16 minutes or until desired consistency.

I spread the melted chocolate chips out after the brownies had cooled a bit and then sprinkled more chocolate chips on top.

As you can see, I frosted my brownies with leftover strawberry frosting from my shortbread cookies. It’s delicious, what can I say?