By Alex Ripepi
Senior Columnist

When I first found the recipe for mug brownies on Food.com, my first thought was, “This is going to give me salmonella.”
Imagine my delight when the recipe didn’t call for eggs. Mug brownies, for the uninitiated, are exactly what they sound like: brownies that consist of smaller portions and are cooked in a mug or coffee cup.
These brownies came out great. I had made them myself, they were fresh, and they didn’t cost an exorbitant amount of money to make. Served with vanilla ice cream on them, they were delicious.
A word to the wise: Do not overcook this brownie. Overcooking will leave a chocolate brick in place of delicious molten goodness.
Let’s be honest though. Normal brownies are boring. So to spice it up, I made three more. One with cinnamon, one with cayenne pepper and a last with turmeric. In order to do this, just add a few shakes of each, being especially careful with cayenne, as you don’t want to turn dessert into a nightmare for your gastrointestinal tract.
Each different spice was a really nice addition to the recipe.

Cinnamon Brownie
The cinnamon was pretty basic, as expected, and added a Christmas-y element. Nothing too drastic, no Food Network spinoff was awarded, and I’m still waiting on Gordon Ramsay’s letter congratulating me on my creative influence on the world of baking, this was less overcooked though, so I’d say 4.5 stars out of 5 on taste.

The Spicy Brownie
The cayenne added an absolutely amazing spice to the brownie, and this one was primed and ready for some ice cream. The spiciness was apparent, but not overwhelming, but when the ice cream ran out, I realized that I’d heaped on a bit too much for the average person. This brownie was shockingly good. I give it 4 stars out of 5 for flavor.

Tumeric Brownie
Turmeric… This brownie was interesting. It was apparent that it had a different flavor than the others, but instead of just “turmeric brownie,” this one became almost nutty. The flavors were very complimentary, but again, I overcooked the brownie. Assuming a decent preparation, this one would have easily been as good as the cinnamon brownie. I award it 4.5 stars out of 5.
I can’t stress enough the ease of this recipe though. Considering the time and financial stresses that an average college student faces, this recipe is a 5 out of 5. This takes no time to prepare, and the price is almost negligible.
If the mood strikes, this microwavable mug brownie recipe is an amazing sweet tooth fix. Mug brownies will definitely be seeing my kitchen again and again.

MUG BROWNIES

2 tbsp butter, melted
2 tbsp water
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Dash of salt
4 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
4 tbsp flour

In a 12-ounce mug, add the water, butter, vanilla and salt. Whisk well.

Add cocoa powder, sugar and flour into the mug and mix.

Microwave for about 60 to 90 seconds. The center will look molten. Don’t overcook!
Enjoy!