I can't believe I went out and ate lunch before our blog meeting the other week -- the day when a bunch of Chow Bella contributors showed up with brownies. What was I thinking?

And yet, somehow I found room to try them all, complete with a big cup of milk that made everything expand with every gulp. It's true that I have an extra stomach just for important occasions like a brownie bombardment.

I loved Amy Silverman's, Carol Blonder's (she's a chef and everything she makes is outstanding), and most of all, Erica O'Neil's.

Her frosted Guinness brownies were super dense and moist and chocolatey, topped with sweet, Guinness-tinged icing. That recipe rocked! It's worth a bookmark.

• Chow Bella
• Recipes