BROWNIES : GUILT BY ASSOCIATION

I have faithfully been making these brownies off the side of the Frys cocoa tin for several years now and I'd never really bothered to change up the recipe very much - why fix what is decidedly un-broken? However last night I decided to make things a little more interesting...with whole hazelnuts and way too much time on my hands, the kitchen was my oyster. Even if I dont like oysters.

1 1/3 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. butter
1 c. cocoa
2 c. sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
preferred nuts

Prehead your oven to 350. OR DIE TRYING.

I. Stir together flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large saucepan.
II. When liquid, remove from heat and add cocoa. Mix untill no lumps remain. Stir in sugar and eggs, one at a time. (I don't know what it was, but 4 eggs seemed somehow rediculous so I substituted the last egg for an egg-sized lump of apple sauce. It occured to me later that I could have done that instead of the TWO CUPS of sugar, but genius is a lazy bitch.)
III. Add the vanilla and pour into the flour mix, bit by bit so you don't get those dreaded flour-pockets at the bottom. Pour into a pan and toss in whatever nuts you desire. Mix about and then bake for ~40 minutes.
(Check it at 30. For some reason I put them in for 25 the first time around and it actually jiggled when I picked up the pan, so I sent it back for another 15. They were crunchy around the edges but still gooey and sticky on the bottoms. That's more like it.)

ps. I also ended up making a video about them on YouTube. You can check it out here.
-->http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKY0K3SOJKM

Who put the crack in my Extraordinary Cheese Dip?

Is it just me or is everyone else having a hard time resisting this one? I swear, I've made it probably around 6 times since that last Epicure party and that's a bit excessive I'm thinking. I made it last night in some of my medium sized ramekins (because my casserole dish has beef stew in it). I left it in for the usual amount of time which was technically a mistake because you have to adjust for shorter cooking times when you change the size of the cookware but O... M... G... The sides and bottom caramelized a bit and had this lovely smoky cheese flavour beyond what it usually does. Yay mistakes!

We're going to have to pin Dayna down and make her tell us which ingredient has the crack hidden in it. I'm thinking that it's the Bacon, Cheese and Chive Dip mix but then again, the Lemon Dilly jar is almost empty...

Beg-For-It Scones

Way back in the day, I baby-sat for a Norwegian family in the heart of Woseley. They had two beautiful (if not loud) children and a wonderful house, filled with curious books and roadsigns in a language I did not fathom to understand. Even in the kitchen, where I spent a lot of time after the Roman and Kari had gone to sleep, had boxes and packages printed with fascinating mystery that I could only guess their uses or contents. (It would be a few years untill I understood Swedish. Norwegian remains too retarded for words.)

As what would be a many long and lonely night spent in the small white space, I pulled cookbooks down about my ankles and spent hours browsing the yellow wrinkled pages. One thick, green-velvet covered volume however revealed a recipe I am glad I copied. To this day, I can literally make my boyfriend do anything I want (including to run out and buy the ingredients for me) so I will make these lovely scones.

Preheat oven to 400. (I hate it when they tell you that at the end, after you've done everything.
"Oh by the way! Your oven should be on!" )

2 1/2 c. flour
2 tbsp. sugar
2 1/2 tsp. b. powder
1/2 tsp. b. soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. butter (cold)
1 c. buttermilk
1 egg
Optional : 1/2 shredded chedder cheese.

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i. Line a baking tray with parchment paper, or for the poorer among us, flour it lightly.
ii. Mix the dry ingredients together and then add your butter, mixing untill it forms crumbs.
iii. Combine your egg and buttermilk (what I have written here looks more like "bonilx") in a bowl, then throw in with your drys.
iv. With floured hands, knead the dough about 10 times. Roll out to desired thickness and cut into triangles.
v. Bake for about 18 - 20 minutes.
vi. Devour with white fury.

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afterparty :

Danny and Kato, kitchen duo, give a butter-smeared, crumb-covered thumbs up to this Norwegian (maybe?) treat.

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ps. I am not feeling creative / corny today. I am sorry to dissapoint you all.