¾ c sugar
1 c flour
2 t baking powder
⅛ t salt
2 T butter
1 oz unsweetened chocolate or 3 T cocoa
½ c milk
½ t vanilla
½ c brown sugar
½ c white sugar
4 T cocoa
1½ c cold water

Preheat oven to 350°. Sift together first four ingredients. Melt butter and chocolate over hot water, and mix with dry ingredients. Stir in milk and vanilla. Pour mixture into 9×9 baking dish (preferably glass).  Scatter sugars and cocoa over the top (do not stir). Pour water over top. Bake 40 min. Let cool, and serve with ice cream.

Editor’s note: this highly controversial recipe should be undertaken with a high degree of caution. Purists in the family will argue that nothing is better than a recipe that’s truly “from scratch.” Those of us with taste buds (ahem) will admit that sometimes, shortcuts lead to more flavorful results. Should you wish to try the recipe that won the grand brownie pudding blind tasting cook-off of 2010, see the alternate version here.