brownies.

I always want to make brownies. I'm also always prepared to be a little disappointed because they're never quite what I was hoping they would be. That is, super crunchy on the outside, appropriately gooey on the inside & not too sweet. I thought finding a good recipe online would be easy but searching for "perfect brownies" is like searching for "the color white". They all claim the same thing and they're all right, according to someone. We all have different tastes. It seems though that Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen and I are brownie soul mates. I made her "my favorite brownies" and will never make another brownie recipe again. It made it in to my recipe box, which is to say, they're perfect, to me. Over the past week, Jim and I have eaten 3 pans. LIVIN' LARGE. 
    Since I am physically incapable of following a recipe, I did do a couple things my way so the recipe below is my version. I used an extra ounce of chocolate, chose bittersweet over un-sweet, used bread flour for density & substituted some of the white sugar for raw sugar (which takes longer to dissolve so it sinks to create a thin, chewy layer on the bottom. In. Sane.)

1 stick salted butter
1 4oz bar of bittersweet chocolate
1 C white sugar
1/3 C raw sugar
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
1/4 t salt
2/3 C bread flour

Slowly melt butter and chocolate together until the only solids remaining are a few tiny bits of chocolate. You can use a double boiler or microwave it for 20 seconds at a time stirring thoroughly in between.  Whisk in sugars then eggs, one at a time. Whisk in salt and vanilla. With a wooden spoon, add flour and mix until it's totally incorporated. The mixture will be super thick, don't be alarmed! Smooth it into a prepared (buttered and floured) 9inch, glass pie dish.  Bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick stuck into the center comes out clean.

These kept perfectly out on my counter for 2 days but good luck keeping them around that long!

summer bread spreads.

It's 70 degrees in Kentucky today! Unreal!

My new thing is toast. (Clearly I'm easy to please.) I never tire of baking, but the luxury of simply putting bread in a toaster is just too good. In lieu of today's freak heat wave, I think some summer bread spreads are in order! Here's a toast to Spring!

BERRY COMPOTE CREAM CHEESE
1 8oz package of cream cheese
1/4 C berry compote
{You pick the berries, dice them, coat them in sugar, simmer them in a saucepan over medium heat for about 10 minutes, no water needed. I used strawberries and whole blueberries.}

Whip both ingredients *vigorously* with an electric mixer until combined and smooth.

BERRY BUTTER
{See recipe a couple entries down!}

ORANGE BUTTER
Combine...
1 stick of salted, softened butter
1 T grated orange zest
{Clementine zest would also be great...or lime zest. Can you imagine spicy, grilled corn on the cob with lime butter?! Remember that GG!}

it's a mighty rocky road.

This recipe belongs to my Grandma, Alice Patricia Goss. It's HANDS DOWN the greatest candy recipe I own. She makes it for every occasion but especially for Christmas. Trouble is, I can't make it at home because Jim (my guy) is allergic to nuts! So please, make this and think of me! If you think hard enough, I may be able to taste it!

berry butter.

((measurements totally unnecessary, just do what feels right!))

Toss quartered strawberries & whole blueberries in a saucepan. Coat with sugar and let simmer for about 10 minutes. The fruit juices will come right out! No need for water! Mixture will become syrupy and thick. Let it cool and thoroughly mix it with softened, salted butter. This will keep in your fridge for essentially ever. I wake up thinking about it.

Here's to sharing. I hope you like it!

Chocolate Crinkles, Halloween 2011.