Every Day Brownies

Why should you make these brownies? They are quick and full of chocolate, ready to be topped with some ice cream or tucked into a lunchbox. I like to have a variety of recipes so that if I'm out of the ingredients for one, chances are I'll have them for another. These brownies ton't need to be topped with icing, but you can toss on some chocolate chips to make them extra special.

(the original recipe is by Melissa McMacken)

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
2 oz unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 oz semi sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans
3/4 cup chocolate chips

Melt chocolates and butter over low heat on the stove until smooth. You could use a double boiler over simmering water, but I often don't. Let the chocolate cool a bit. Whisk in the sugars, and then the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each, and then the vanilla.

In a separate bowl mix the flour, baking powder and salt together with a fork. Dump into the bowl with the chocolate/egg mixture and stir until just combined.

**At this point, if you want to add 1 cup chopped pecans, go for it! I can't eat nuts so I omitted that step.

Pour the batter into a greased 9x9 inch square baking pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle with a few handfuls of semi-sweet chocolate chips and press them down gently (don't submerge them though).

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350 F for about 30 minutes. Allow to cool completely and then pop them out of the pan and slice. Mmmm! I couldn't even resist taking a bite during the photo op.


Makes one 9x9 inch pan, or about 12 brownies.

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Orange and Thyme Marinade For Shrimp or Chicken

With some oranges in the fridge and fresh thyme out in the herb garden, this seemed like the perfect recipe for a summer evening. The marinade goes perfectly with the shrimp and then are absolutely delectable off your BBQ! I recommend serving them with a fresh salad, or as an appetizer at a party.

Adapted from Every Day Food, July/August 2008

1/4 cup orange juice
1 tsp orange zest
1 tablespoon fresh chopped thyme
1 clove of garlic
2 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Mix all in a bowl and add either...a pound of prawns (peeled and deveined) or boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Marinate for about 30 minutes. If you are using chicken, marinate  for a few hours.

Thread the shrimp onto skewers and BBQ about 3-4 minutes, turning once, until they are pink and opaque. We didn't do anything to the chicken except throw it on the BBQ and cook until it was cooked through. If you don't have a BBQ these work equally well under a broiler in the oven.

In a small bowl combine 1/3 light mayonnaise, 1/2 tsp orange zest, 1/4 cup orange juice, and 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with the shrimp as a dipping sauce.

Serves 2-3, depending on how many prawns you like to eat. You could actually use chicken breasts AND prawns to stretch this out a little more as a meal.

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Apricot Syrup

I love apricots. I literally wait until they are in the store, and then the first thing I do is buy up a bunch and make jam. Why not eat them raw, you ask? Well, I have something called Oral Allergy Syndrome, which makes eating fresh apricots a bit of an itchy experience.

This recipe is delightful. Syrup is amazing drizzled over pound cake, pancakes, or as in the photo, ice cream. I highly recommend you try it-and with a cute ribbon tied around the jar, it makes a nice teacher gift.

Adapted from Company's Coming Preserves

2 cups of apricots, pitted
1 cup water
2 tbsp lemon juice (fresh or bottled)
4 cups sugar
1 tbsp corn syrup

Pit and chop apricots. In a blender or food processor, puree them with the water. Put into a large pot with the sugar, lemon juice, and and corn syrup.

Cook and stir over medium heat until it begins to boil. Boil for 5 minutes, continuing to stir.

Pour into hot, sterilized jars and seal. Process in a boiling water canner for 5 minutes.

**Please see the Bernardin website for canning instructions

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