Brownies

I find baking on a Sunday so therapeutic, almost like chicken-soup-for-the-soul kinda stuff. On a bright but cold Sunday afternoon, freshly baked brownies with coffee is a warmly welcome treat. This recipe is adapted from allrecipes.com and is foolproof. If you have some chopped up nuts like macadamia or hazelnut or even almond, throw in a handful to add a nice crunch. Best of all, as you can use just the one saucepan and a whisk for all the mixing, there is no major cleaning up after. Just perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon.  

Brownies

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8 inch square pan.
2. In a large saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter. Remove from heat, and stir in sugar, eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat in 1/3 cup cocoa, 1/2 cup flour, salt, and baking powder. Spread batter into prepared pan.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Do not overcook.

 Frosting for brownies is entirely a personal choice. I prefer a brownie as it is or sometimes with a scoop of ice-cream with hot fudge. But if you handle the extra sugar kick, following is a recipe for frosting.

Frosting (optional)

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter, softened
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar

Directions

1. To Make Frosting: Combine 3 tablespoons butter, 3 tablespoons cocoa, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1 cup confectioners' sugar. Frost brownies while they are still warm.