Best Brownies

Ok, so I took some brownies, well actually brownie bites, to work.  It was a birthday thing. I like to bake and take things to work then they don't sit around the kitchen calling my name until I have eradicated them from the area, usually along with half a quart of ice cream, some chocolate sauce and whatever else I may find in the general area.

Anyway there were two things about these brownies,
1) I modified and made individual brownie bites. Much less mess when dealing with a lot of people in a possible pot luck situation,
2) I made a chocolate stout butter cream frosting. Yes you read that right and frankly I could have sat down and eaten the whole bowl of the stuff with a large spatula if said dessert was not expected at work the next day.

I was asked a million times, no not exaggerating, about the recipe.  So here we go, there is a lot of stuff going on, so pay attention.

Dark Chocolate Stout Brownies

6oz. bittersweet chocolate
3/4c. unsalted butter
1c. chocolate stout beer, I used Boatswain from Trader Joe's
1c. brown sugar
1c. flour
1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 large eggs at room temp for 30 min, why? I don't know it's what it said to do. I don't like to challenge new recipes that will be consumed by people other than my immediate family. They of course are total Guinea pigs for all my culinary exploits.

-Preheat to 350°. Grease 9x13 pan
-melt chocolate and butter in double boiler
 whisk in sugar, set aside and let cool
-mix flour, cocoa, eggs and beer.
-add in the chocolate/butter mix
-mix until just blended

Bake for 20 min.


Modifications:

Cheater Version:
Any Brownie mix, I like Ghirardelli's dark chocolate one.
Substitute the chocolate stout for any liquid in the mix, like water or milk.

Brownie Bite Version:
Instead of baking in your usual favorite brownie pan, you know you have one and if it is not available brownies cannot be made in any other pan.  Come on it's not just me! Is it? Do I have to worry?
Either grease or use papers in a mini muffin/cupcake pan.
Ours makes 24
Use about a Tbs of mix for each bite.
Bake at indicated temp from the box for 10 min then check with a toothpick. You might end up with hockey pucks if you over bake :(

FROSTING:
3c. Powder Sugar
1/3c Unsalted Butter
1/2 to 1tsp Vanilla
Super slowly add Chocolate stout and blend with a knife
until the correct frosting consistency. YUM!

Happy New Year!

Well, it's that time of year again, that New Year time.  I don't think it really matters which year, unless your 16 or 21, but that's just me. All the other years just seem to come and go with all their activities and occasions and before you know it it's new years again!

I'm not really an in depth goal setter or resolution maker.  I just hope and pray, a lot, that I can keep everyone healthy, get them where they need to go with teeth brushed (it can be a struggle) and clean socks and underwear (there are times when I wonder!), pay the bills, make the meals, get some sleep.

I'd say that is usually a do-able list. #1 Pet peeve right about now? New Year's Resolution gym goers.  I know the fitness clubs are loving life right about now.  They are adding new members left and right, and I am all for everyone turning over a new leaf and getting healthy for a change. Only problem is there are those of us who are the year round consistent, loyal kind of people and suddenly we are having to grapple for a treadmill at 4:30 am, get there extra early to secure a bike in spin class and brush up on our hand to hand combat for a spot in Zumba.

I start worshiping the weather gods right about now so that we have some dry days and I can just run outside until all this new years fitness enthusiasm blows over.  I can do cold, but not cold and wet, so these mornings in the 20s and 30s I'm doing ok, logging my miles, just waiting for a spot to open up again at the gym.

That being said I'm happy to say I exceeded last years milage by 46.72 miles!  The total for 2014 was 653.72!

Now I'm just waiting for a pass to the Nike employee store to come along 'cause it's time for a new pair of Air Pegasus to start my 2015 milage.

Happy New Year!