Chewy Brownies

We really liked the Betty Crocker original supreme brownie mix. It is not readily available here in Indonesia.  Once in awhile I'll see some cake or cookie mix that is imported from the U.S, but they are so expensive.  A boxed cake/cookie mix will run around $4 to $5 US dollars.   I wanted to know if there was a good from scratch brownie recipe that would be just as good.  I looked around on the internet and tried a few different recipes.  I found one that we like.  So far, it's our family's favorite brownie recipe.  We like our brownies to be fudgy, moist, and chewy.  This one delivers.  I don't know that it is quite as good as the Betty Crocker mix, but it is definitely close.

I've found that the baking cocoa in Indonesia seems a little darker and richer.  The sugar here is very coarse so I could still see sugar crystals in the brownies after they were baked. The brownies still tasted good but they definitely looked and tasted just a little different from brownies baked in the US.  It's amazing what different brands and the coarseness of the powder and sugar will do to the final product.  My kids still loved the brownies and we quickly devoured an entire 8x8 pan. 

Here is the recipe:

1/2 cup vegetable oil (I find that oil instead of butter seems to make for nice, moist, brownies)
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt

I mix the sugar and oil together first.  Then I add the eggs and vanilla and mix.  Finally I just dump everything else in and mix by hand using a whisk.  It is okay that the batter is lumpy.  I grease an 8x8 in. pan, pour in the mix, and put it in the oven at 350F for 20 minutes.  I wish I could remember which website I got the recipe from.  I didn't write down the name of the site.  If this is your recipe, thanks so much!  We love it!