I promised recipes

Here's a good one. From the inside front cover of Women's Day magazine, October 1951. Betty Crocker's Brownies!

The basic recipe:

4 sq. unsweetened chocolate (4 oz.)
2/3 c. oil
--melt the above together; I use the microwave

2 cups sugar
4 eggs
--beat into the chocolate mixture

1-1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
--mix together and stir in. You don't have to sift it.

1 cup nuts (optional)
--add 'em if you want 'em

Bake in a greased 13x9 inch pan at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes.

The variations:
Brownies a la Mode
Bake in 9-inch round pans and top with ice cream. Duh.

Tea Brownies--I haven't tried this one. Looks good for a crowd.
Make half the recipe and spread it in two 13x9 inch pans--very thin. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup blanched slivered almonds or pistachios. Bake 7-8 minutes and cut into squares immediately.

Chocolate-Frosted Brownies--I've tried this, and prefer it over the Hershey's frosting I used to use.
Use half the regular recipe and bake in an 8x8 inch pan (I think this takes 20-25 minutes). Spread with Marie's Chocolate Icing (they don't say who Marie is, presumably a friend of Betty): Melt 1 Tbs. butter with 1 sq. chocolate, blend in 1-1/2 Tbsp. warm water and then beat in 1 cup powedered sugar.

Golden Brownies--haven't tried this yet, but you can't go wrong with a brown sugar meringue.
Make half of regular recipe, but reserve an egg white from one of the eggs. Spread in a 9-inch square pan and spread with meringe topping: Beat egg white until frothy; gradually beat in 1 cup brown sugar and 1/2 tsp. vanilla. Continue beating until very stiff. Fold in 1/2 cup nuts, if you like. Bake at 350; they don't say how long but I'd start with 20 minutes and go from there.

p.s. It took me a while to figure out the weird space-alien things that are waving the wands with numbers. They're brownies. Get it?