Yummy Homemade brownies

I brought brownies to choir today and was asked for the recipe, so I decided to share it on the blog. This way you all can try these yummy, homemade brownies (the only homemade version that I have liked...I usually prefer the boxed ones). Sorry, no photo as they are all gone, but I tell ya, they are good!

I got this recipe from my mom (she made them almost every sunday while I was pregnant with Max, because I craved them so bad during his pregnancy...so it was probably more the fault of my sweet tooth than Max that I gained so much weight and have had such a hard time losing it!)

Yummy Brownies:

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
2/3 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Heat oven to 350. Grease baking pan 13 x 9 x 2 inches. Melt chocolate and shortening in a large saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat and mix in the sugar, eggs and vanilla. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Spread in pan.

Bake 30 (a little less if you are more of a gooey brownie fan) minutes or until the brownies start to pull away from the sides of the pan. Cool slightly and cut into bars.