I'm a professional baker, but I prefer my favorite boxed brownie mix over homemade

• I'm a professional baker, but I swear by a boxed mix when it comes to making brownies.
• Ghirardelli triple-chocolate mix makes brownies with flaky tops and gooey middles.

As a professional baker, I believe all desserts are better homemade — except brownies.

I've tried all kinds of brownie recipes, but they don't compare to the Ghirardelli triple-chocolate boxed mix.

I've always found other recipes to have a more cake-like consistency, rather than the flaky top and gooey middle that the Ghirardelli mix produces every time.

The mix couldn't be easier to throw together

All you need for these brownies is a square pan, a mixing bowl, a spoon or spatula, one egg, 1/3 cup of water, and 1/3 cup of vegetable oil.

Start by whisking all of your wet ingredients together until they get nice and foamy. That's what helps get you that signature crinkly top.

Then add the dry ingredients and fold them in. But be careful not to overmix your batter — a common mistake that leads to dense and lifeless desserts.

If using boxed mixes hurts your heart a little, you can still add your own flair

It's really not necessary with this, but if I'm looking to upgrade the mix, I'll substitute the water for hot black coffee and add some vanilla extract.

The hot coffee will make the cocoa powder "bloom," which enhances the chocolate flavor and add richness.

Ghirardelli's triple-chocolate mix is superior, but if you can only find the standard double-chocolate one at the store, you can simply throw in some extra chocolate chips at home.

You want to underbake the brownies a little bit before letting them cool all the way

Pour the batter into a greased baking pan and pop it into an oven at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 35 to 40 minutes. I've found that glass or ceramic pans cook the brownies more evenly than a dark, non-stick pan.

The key to perfect brownies is underbaking them, knowing they'll continue to cook in the hot pan after you pull them out of the oven.

Test them after 40 minutes by inserting a toothpick into the center. If it comes out too wet, add about five to seven more minutes. I ended up cooking this batch for 47 minutes.

It's hard not to immediately dive into the brownies, but the longer they cool, the easier they'll be to cut and serve.

Once they're ready, I like to cut them with a plastic knife because I've found it creates fewer tears across the top of the brownies.

There's nothing like a Ghirardelli triple-chocolate brownie

Even though they only required half the effort of baking brownies from scratch, I know from personal experience this boxed mix will have your friends begging you for the recipe.

They come out fudgy and crinkly, and it's so easy to customize the flavor with add-ins and extra toppings.