Disaster in the Kitchen

Over the past few years I have become a decent cook.  Right out of college I didn't do much in the kitchen besides boil water, mix drinks, and wash dishes.

But now I can make almost anything.  I can bake bread, roast duck, whip butter, even make cheese.  Anything.  Almost.

Today, my attempt to make brownies was a disaster.  However, it was the fault of physics, not my own.  This is what the brownies looked like after 20 minutes in the oven (the recipe called for 40 minutes).

The brownies had exploded (not the best photo, I know, but it was all I could get at the time).  Even though I used the 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder that the recipe called for, I obviously used too much for the altitude or creamed the eggs and sugar too much because all those tiny air bubbles became enormous and hurl the brownie batter in every possible direction.

Here is the brownies after I removed them from the oven and tried to clean it up a bit (i.e. taste the rough stuff around the edges).

They actually taste amazing despite not looking so good.  I've had the recipe for ages and used to make these brownies quite often until I misplaced the recipe.  I would have used the word "lost" except last week I found it among some piles of paper.  Will someone at sea level try this recipe and confirm that I am not delusional and that these brownies really are easy and tasty?

Brownies

1 cup butter

2 cups white sugar

4 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2/3 cup cocoa

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

Grease 9x13 pan (I had made a half recipe).

Melt butter.

Mix in sugar, eggs, and vanilla.

Beat in cocoa, flour, salt, and baking powder.

Bake 40 minutes @350F