Personally, I think brownies are like McDonald's cheeseburgers: elegant in their simplicity. Don't mess with success. Unless you want to really impress someone (and if you did, why go for brownies?), just get a mix and make sure to overcook the edges a little.

Of course, you may want to go with something like this or this (or just make them in a muffin tin) for extra edginess.

I like Duncan Hines mixes -- for cakes and Brownies. My mother-in-law, who can be a snob about mixes and makes everything from scratch, including brownies, thinks "my" Duncan Hines brownies are fabulous.

I haven't made this recipe but one of my favorite TV cooks, Ina Garten, has a tempting recipe that is highly rated:

Outrageous Brownies

Chocolate Orgasms

These are indescribably good. Words can not describe how good they are. You have been warned.

I recently made these Cocoa Brownies with Browned Butter from Bon Appetit, and they lived up to the hype. To put that in perspective, this was the hype:

These are some of the best brownies we've ever had—fudgy in the middle and chewy on the outside with a shiny, crackly top. The browned butter adds a rich, nutty flavor.

They were crazy good. And they had a very elusive quality in chocolate desserts - they were so flavorful and rich that you really did actually find it satisfying to eat ONE of them.

Don't be afraid to add something savory to the mix.

My tip, and I wish someone had told me this years ago :( -- if you like fudgey brownies, undercook them by a few minutes. Apparently, you're supposed to do that with cookies, too? But I don't bake cookies.

1 box of expensive dark choc. brownie mix, 1 bag walnuts. No chocolate chips, frosting, etc. Basic brownies, easy and good. Definitely underbake a little.

I wish I could help you out. The best brownies I've ever had substituted 1/2 the oil/butter requirement with bacon grease. The brownie pan was greased with bacon grease. And fresh bacon crumbs were sprinkled on the bottom of the pan before the brownie mix was poured in.

Ooh, yes, savory -- try a little fleur de sel (flaky French salt) on top. Works AWESOME with caramel.

I sent a note about 4 years ago to YoBananaBoy on Metafilter after he offhandedly mentioned a brownie recipe. This is what he sent me. I love the recipe more because of his great delivery:

I use Baker's unsweetened baking chocolate. The recipe is on the package. Sort of. I have transmogrified it a bit. But, I'm up and here goes.

4 squares Bakers unsweeted baking chcolate
3/4 cup unsalted butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1 cup chopped pecans
2 squares of Bakers semi-sweet baking chocolate (I don't use this bit)
1 package of (14oz.) of Kraft Caramels
2/3 cup condensed milk (they use butter, but i like the condensed milk better)
teeny-tiny bit of salt.

Grease and foil line a 13x9 inch baking pan. I grease the foil, too, but hey, you only live once. I use butter to grease the pan and the foil.

Set your oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit (~176 Celsius).

Chop up the unsweeted squares. Melt in a double boiler the chopped unsweeted chocolate and the butter, stirring the entire time. Stirring the entire time is needed, although a pain the in butt. You can do this part in a microwave, but I don't have one so tough for me.

Then stir in the sugar. Mix well. Then stir in the eggs and the vanilla and the teeny bit of salt. I generally use more vanilla than any recipe calls for, but that is me. Make sure the chocolate-sugar mixture isn't too hot or the eggs will start to cook in the mixture. Then stir in the flour and the chopped pecans.

Now melt 14 oz. of caramel pieces into the 2/3 cup of condensed milk,again on the stove top you have to use a double boiler and stir stir stir. Or use a microwave if you have it. I then add a small handful of shredded coconut to the melted caramel and mix well.

Ok. Now the weird part.

Pour half of the batter into pan. Bake for 6 minutes and remove from oven. Now pour the caramel mixture over that, and then the rest of the brownie mixture, making a cool pattern if you are really bored.

Back into the oven for about ~20 minutes, again at 350 degree.

You can't really do the "stick a knife in to see if they are done" because the knife will come back gooey because of the caramel.

So, the final bit is melting the semi-sweet chocolate and drizzling it on top of the finished brownies. This part I don't do. Mostly because I have used up all of my mixing bowls in the caramel, chocolate/butter, brownie batter.

So, let them cool if you can wait that long. Cut into pieces and eat.

These are the best brownies in the whole world except for the fact that I'm not sure they're really brownies as in do they qualify under brownie specs or are they something else, something fiendishly delicious else? Are they cheesecakes? Are they brownies? They are amazing.

Warning! Yes, they're a PITA to make. They are, however, so, so worth it.