Why I like ChatGPT - recipe edition

One of my favourite things about ChatGPT is getting quick simple recipes when I have an odd proportion of ingredients. For example, today, I had 3/4 of a stick of butter and didn't feel like going to the grocery store. I got some cocoa powder recently to make decorative sourdough bread, and I thought, "Hey, I could probably make some brownies." So I asked ChatGPT what I could do with my cocoa powder a 3/4 of a stick of butter. It was a very small batch of brownies, but it came out absosmurfly delicious! Here's how the conversation went down. The only change I made was that I added a pinch of baking powder.

Sam I am: So, I have some cocoa powder and about 3/4th of a stick of butter. Can I make brownies with that?

ChatGPT said: Yes! You can make brownies with just cocoa powder and butter as a base, but you’ll need a few other ingredients to make them work properly. Here’s a simple way to do it with what you have and a few common pantry items:

Basic Brownie Ingredients:

• Butter: ~3/4 stick (you already have)
• Cocoa powder: 2–3 tablespoons (adjust depending on taste)
• Sugar: ~1/2 cup (granulated or brown sugar)
• Eggs: 1–2, depending on how fudgy you want them
• Flour: 1/4–1/3 cup (to give structure)

Optional: pinch of salt, vanilla extract, chocolate chips, nuts (I did not use chocolate chips or nuts)

Simple Method:

• Melt butter in a small saucepan or microwave.
• Stir in cocoa powder until smooth.
• Mix in sugar and let it cool slightly.
• Add egg(s) and vanilla extract, mixing well.
• Fold in flour (and salt, if using) until just combined. Don’t overmix.
• Pour into a small greased pan and bake at 350°F (175°C) for ~15–20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.

Because you only have part of a stick of butter, your batch will be smaller—think more like a few brownies than a full pan.

If you want, I can give you a tiny batch “minimal ingredients” recipe that will use exactly what you have for a perfect single-pan fudgey brownie. Do you want me to do that?

One day, I posted a picture that just had a bunch of vegetables, herbs, and stuff, and based on the picture, ChatGPT was able to suggest multiple recipes. I love ChatGPT!

Sometimes, when I want to make something, expecially if I've never made it before, I'll watch about a dozen YouTube videos and piece together a recipe. But sometimes if I watch too many videos, I'll get analysis paralysis. That's when I go to ChatGPT to get a simple recipe. ChatGPT always comes through. If I don't like a recipe, I'll tell it what I want to change, and it'll give me another one.