The Search For The Perfect Brownie
0 comment Tuesday, May 27, 2014 |
Today I acknowledged the futility of trying to get my squash growing in this decidedly autumnal weather. They're just not going to do it - the fruit is rotting on the vine, it's just too cold now. On top of that, I missed the sumac as well as it was in fruit three weeks ago. Everything's changing much too early and I'm now wondering if I'm going to get to any nuts at all before they drop immature to the ground.
To assuage my disappointment, I did some baking yesterday and decided to use some leftover raspberries, a packet of open hazelnuts and some organic dark chocolate. Brownies were my mission - brownies in the US are an institution, and the ones here in the UK don't taste quite right in my opinion; not gooey enough, or they're too dry. Brownies should be moist, and while I like them a little on the cake-y side, I also want to be able to taste the chocolate as well.
I don't tend to do much baking; we don't have biscuits or cakes or suchlike on hand as it's pretty much empty calories - the last thing either sprog or I need. No crisps, no soda, no biscuits. We eat ice cream from time to time but that's pretty much it. Still, I enjoy making some of these things, and with the chocolate-toast being such a hit, I decided to break out the old-school and make some brownies from memory, but with a bit of a twist.
So I mixed up a batch, threw in the fruit and nuts, and baked away. And now I wonder why I don't make this stuff more often. Of course, sprog refused to eat any of them as it's "new", but no bother. I've frozen half the batch for later, but already eaten two today with a cup of tea (which may also remind me why I don't make this stuff more often, the calories, egad....)
Still, the one perk of the colder weather (and believe it or not, I'm considering turning on my heat tonight), is an excuse to do some baking. A biscuit now and again couldn't hurt, surely?

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