He ain't pretty, but he's chocolate.

I don't know about you guys, but as a general rule, after dinner I want something sweet. (Obviously, we NEVER have things like cookies or candies or cakes or whatnot around that house. Obviously.)

It's unfortunate for my weight, but there you have it.

Also unfortunate for my weight, is that some darned person posted this darned recipe on my sister-in-law's status a while ago. Even more unfortunately, I remembered it, I bookmarked it, and I keep making it.

By it, I refer, of course, to a single portion brownie-in-a-mug. Practically instant, made with ingredients I generally have on hand, cooked in a microwave.

Bastards.

It ain't pretty. It ain't low on calories or fat (I actually haven't dared to calculate it.) It probably ain't good for you.

But - it's chocolate. So it'll do.

Microwave Chocolate Mug Brownie

Serves: 1 (haha! One very hungry one. You're gonna want to share. Or get fat.)

Yield: 1 brownie
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 dash salt
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Website Directions:

1. In a 12 oz coffee mug, add milk, butter, vanilla and dash of salt. Whisk well.
2. Add cocoa powder, whisk well. Add sugar, whisk well. Add flour, whisk well.
3. Microwave for 60 to 90 seconds. Center should be slightly molten. Careful not to overcook.
4. Enjoy with a spoon. Careful brownie will be hot.

Real Directions:

1. (Seriously, food.com?? And what, exactly is gonna happen if I put it in a 16 oz. coffee mug? Oh, the horror!)
2. Melt butter in the mug. Because, seriously, the melting the butter is kinda part of the recipe. And, I don't know about you all, but I find it to be a serious pain in the butt (you can't spell butter without butt) to measure out a tablespoon of butter. If you want to be really anal, go to a butter conversion website and do it by weight, but if you're like me and lazy and really want your dose of chocolate - eyeball it. 
3. Mix in the milk, vanilla, salt, and stir with fork.
4. ONLY NOW may you mix in the cocoa, sugar, flour. I'm not really sure what would happen if you mix everything at once. Probably the apocalypse. If you do it and survive, let me know. 
5. Microwave as needed. Our microwave is strong like bull. Yours may not be. It might take a minute, it might take 90 seconds, it might take more. Who knows. Well, hopefully you do, because otherwise you would be regularly burning yourself and your food in your microwave. 
6. Enjoy with A FORK. Or a spoon. Think for yourself. Don't let silly food websites tell you what to think. 

 It ain't pretty, but it's chocolate.

That is, I really hope it's chocolate.