If everyone made a batch of these brownies and shared them with other folks we would have a different world.  It takes about 40 minutes to prepare this recipe and the gift giving effects last much longer.  Let’s show the world the Aloha Spirit is still here in Hawaii.

These decadent, fudgy brownies are always on hand in my house.  I bake them with the intent to give them to others. I occasionally eat one or two of them. One of the ways I spread the Aloha Spirit is through food, particularly the sharing of it. I bag the brownies in those small, clear gift bags and tie with a ribbon.  Then I give them to the postal person, the guys who pick up my trash, neighbors, and if I visit a friend I always have a bag of them with me.

I started taking treats on the airlines for the flight attendants years ago.  Try this on your next flight and see how nice people can be.  If Oprah can do her be-nice-to-people challenge, we can do the Aloha Spirit Brownie Challenge.  Sounds like fun.

Ingredients Needed:

• 1 box Brownie mix
• 3 eggs
• Vegetable oil, at least ½ cup
• 1 cup pecans, walnuts, or macadamia nuts
• 1 cup milk chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup white chocolate chips
• 8 X 8 inch bake pan
• PAM spray

There are many brownie mixes in the bake isle at the grocery store.  I choose one that is dark, fudgy and may have a name like Triple Chocolate.  Follow the recipe on the box because all brownie mixes are different.  The end result will be the same.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

Grease an 8 X 8 inch aluminum pan with PAM spray and set aside.

Assemble all the ingredients you need before you start to mix.  Pour the dry brownie mix into a medium or large mixing bowl. 

Add the oil and water to the brownie mix.  Carefully crack the eggs in a separate small bowl so you do not get eggshells in the brownie mix. I once lost a piece of eggshell in the batter and later was the lucky person who bit down on it. It was an awful feeling in my mouth. Crunch.

Add the eggs to the oil, water, brownie mix.  Stir all ingredients about 50 strokes with a wooden spoon until the batter is well blended.  If you use less eggs you will get fudgy brownies, more eggs and you get cake like brownies.

Add ½ cup nuts, ½ cup white chocolate chips, and ½ cup chocolate chips into the brownie batter.  Stir until the chips and nuts are covered and blended evenly. 

Pour the brownie batter into the 8 X 8 inch pan.  Sprinkle ½ cup nuts, ½ cup white chocolate chips. and ½ cup chocolate on the top of the uncooked brownies.  Bake 40-45 minutes on the center rack of the oven.

To test for doneness I use a toothpick and insert it about 2 inches from the edge of the pan into the brownies.  If the toothpick comes out clean, they are done.  If it comes out with wet brownie batter, cook some more.

You will start to smell cooked brownies when they are almost done.

When you are certain they are done, remove from the oven and set the aside to cool and for the brownies to get firm.  If you try to cut wet brownies you will end up with a mess.  Sometimes I am in a hurry and I put the pan of brownies in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to cool.

Use a butter knife or spatula to unstick all the outside edges of the brownies in the pan. Score the brownies, and then cut into squares.  Remove brownies from the pan and let them cool before wrapping them.  I put them into the freezer for storage and they thaw out wonderfully. I wrap 2 or 3 brownies in plastic wrap and place them in ziplock bags or just place the brownies in a plastic food tub and put in the freezer.  I make little gift bags tied with ribbons and give them as gifts. 

Thanks for reading my column and please leave a comment or rating.  A big thanks to all you folks who spread the Aloha Spirit in your part of the world.  Let me know how your Aloha Brownies touched somebody’s life.