Mexican Mayo Brownies
February 6, 2020 by Nicole Collins
I've doing a lot of extra adulting lately.
For example, I loaded up my online shopping cart during a Bath and Body Works sale. But instead of clicking the check out button, I stared at my list of candles then one by one x'd them out of my cart. I closed out of the browser and went about my merry way without spending a penny.
Hello, self control. Where did you come from?
Actually, I know exactly where it came from. It's something I'm trying out, because I have a new life hashtag.
Yup, some of this adulting has included making big life decisions like finally putting a timeline date on this dream of moving to much warmer, much sunnier Florida. So, it's no longer a dream, but a goal now that it has an “achieve by” date. I gave myself 5 years to line up all of my ducks; and the goal is to celebrate my fortieth birthday as a resident of Florida.
And part of this plan involves big time saving, which means no more impulse candle buys when I already have a good 15 candles on standby under my coffee table. 😒
So in the spirit of adulting today, we're adding a little grown up twist to a classic dessert.
Today, we're making Mexican Mayo Brownies!
Chocolate...the perfect way to console a woman who has to change her whole way of thinking when it comes to spending.
We're going to start with a store bought box of brownie mix. You guys know that I love jazzing up a boxed mix, and you will definitely not be able to recognize these as anything but homemade when we're done with them. To the box mix, we're going to add the water and eggs called for on the box. But instead of using oil, we're going to do an even swap out for mayonnaise. Stay with me! The mayo serves the exact same purpose as oil while giving us a moist and chewy brownie as our end result. Your loved ones will have NO IDEA if you don't tell them.
To take our brownies from kid to adult status, we're going to add some spices that will really warm up our palette. Some ground cinnamon, chipotle chili powder, and regular chili powder get added to our batter along with an extra dose of vanilla extract. Stir it just until it's mixed, pour it into a prepared pan, then top the batter with some extra mini chocolate chips for good measure.
The end result is a rich brownie that instantly smells like cinnamon the moment you run a knife through it. And the chili powders don't make these spicy, but there's a heat that hits your tongue in the background that you never saw coming. These are decadent and chocolately and warm and comforting and just what you need when you're wearing your grown up pants.
At least part of being an adult means you can each as much dessert as you want (which can be a blessing and a curse).
Ok, everybody! Does everyone feel like they can approach that big grown up world out there a little easier now that we've got these brownies in our lives? I do!
So indulge, enjoy, and let's eat!
Mexican Mayo Brownies
Serves: 16 brownies Print
Ingredients:
1 box fudge brownie mix (I used Betty Crocker)
½ cup mayonnaise
3 tbsp water
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp chipotle chili powder
¼ tsp chili powder
¼ cup mini chocolate chips (I used semisweet)
cooking spray
Directions:
Make the Brownies: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line an 8x8 pan with parchment paper, and spray the bottom, and sides lightly with cooking spray. Mix the brownie mix, mayonnaise, water, egg, vanilla, and spices by hand until just combined. Pour into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top of the batter. Bake for 45-50 mins until a toothpick inserted 2 inches from the sides comes out almost clean. Set aside to cool completely.
Once the brownies are completely cool to the touch, remove them from the pan, and cut into squares. Enjoy!
Recipe notes:
*If you're using another brand of brownie mix, make an even swap for the oil called for on the box with mayo. You may need to adjust the cooking time down by about 5 mins. Just keep an eye on them.
*These brownies are not necessarily spicy, but they have a heat that hits your tongue at the end. You may want to keep that in mind if you're going to share these with the kiddos.
*I've always mixed boxed mixes by hand. This isn't an official ruling, but I believe that mixing by hand prevents over mixing which in turn leads to a fluffier treat. It's my superstition, and it's never let me down!
