It's started. The time of year when we make lots of yummy food and over-indulge eating it. Chocolate always features, as can cream and berries and other delicious treats I try to avoid most of the year. It seems there are lots of opportunities with Christmas celebrations happening with just about every group, club or work place.
On Wednesday it was my turn to make supper for the patchwork group I belong to. Since it's nearly Christmas I trotted out my recipe for Brownie that's well known around these parts, and it went down a treat. I did have to leave some at home for my man. Apparently it wasn't right that I should it all to the meeting.
So if you're a fan of Brownie here's my recipe. Best eaten when slightly warm as the middle is nice and gooey, but just as good any time.
Chocolate brownie:
300gm softened butter
2 cups caster sugar
4 eggs
1 teasp vanilla
1 & 1/2 cups flour1 cup cocoa
1 cup dark chocolate buttons or drops
Cream butter and sugar till pale.
Add eggs one at a time, beating continuously.
Add vanilla.
Fold in flour, cocoa, and chocolate buttons or drops.
Spread in lined shallow baking tin approx. 30 x 20cm.
Bake at 170 degs fan bake for 25-30 mins until just firm.
Enjoy.
And yes, these are my walking shoes. I've been out for my
Do you have a favourite go to recipe for special occasions? Is it over-indulgence on a plate?
Hi Sue
ReplyDeleteI know the feeling about Christmas time and all the great food around :) I started buying the ingredients to make my Christmas cakes yesterday I normally make around 7 for family and friends they are rich moist and very yummy and easy to make if you like fruit cake. I also make a great caramel biscuit slice that is popular with family and friends but very rich and seeing as how I am doing my level best to lose weight this Christmas is going to be hard I can see lots of fruit and vegies and I am going to need lots of will power
Have Fun
Helen
Good luck with that will power, Helen, and thanks so much for your recipe. It looks yummy.
DeleteHere is my Christmas Cake Recipe if anyone wants it I found it in a Woman's Weekly magazine in 1984 and I am still using it :)
ReplyDeleteand Mix Christmas Cake
1.5kg mixed fruit
½ cup sherry, rum or brandy
1 green apple
1 tablespoon honey or golden syrup
1 cup brown sugar firmly packed
4 large eggs
150g butter
1 ½ cups plain flour
½ cup self-raising flour
1 teaspoon mixed spice
2 tablespoons sherry, rum or brandy extra
Place mixed fruit in a large basin, add sherry, peeled and coarsely grated apple, honey, sugar and eggs. Mix well with a wooden spoon or hand to break up any large clumps of fruit. Add cooled melted butter, sifted flour and mixed spice and mix thoroughly. Place into deep 23cm round or deep 20cm square cake tin which has been lined with 3 layers of greaseproof paper. Make sure paper stands up around the edge of the tine to a height of about 5cm, this is to protect the cake during the cooking time.
Bake in a slow oven, 150 C for approx. 3 ½ hours or until cooked when teste. Remove from oven and brush evenly with the extra sherry, rum or brandy, cover tightly with foil and leave in the tine until cold. Remove from the tin, leaving lining paper intact wrap tightly in cling wrap and then in foil. Leave in a cool dark place, or if humid, in the fridge. This cake will last 3 months.
Have Fun
Helen
Hey Helen - do you reckon this would work as a pudding too? If I steamed it?
DeleteI am so trying this recipe. Thanks, Helen!
DeleteAmy I am sure it would I have never tried that this cake is really moist and yummy and I actually have friends that I give one too and they use it as a pudding and have it with custard :)
DeleteI might try steaming one this year as well and making it the pudding :) Great thinking
Have Fun
Helen
I think an 8k walk would more than negate 1 tiny piece of brownie, Sue. Hell, I reckon you could have had 2 of 3!
ReplyDeleteYeah, Amy, maybe I did. :) Always did have trouble counting.
ReplyDeleteThat looks amazing, Sue. Now all I can think about is chocolate brownies. I don't have anything in the house like that as I would always give into temptation!!
ReplyDeleteI'm a pretty rubbish cook. But I do make a mean butter cake. The same one I've been making since I was seven!
Hee hee, Jennifer. Glad I've got your taste buds working. Usually I'm like you and don't have yummy things in the house otherwise there's only one thing that's going to happen. I have this thing whenever I got to town where I have to try and leave without buying anything naughty. Once I'm home I'm safe for a week or two. Doesn't always work out though.
DeleteOh, I'm not sure I needed to know that recipe existed, Sue! But now that I do...
ReplyDeleteOne of my faves at the moment is Greek Lemon Syrup cake. I took it to a function just last week and one of the guests asked me what was in the syrup as they were diabetic and wondered if they could have some. I said, uh no -- it has the juice of one lemon, 1/2 cup of water...and a cup of sugar. It packs a serious sugar rush. :-)
Michelle, I'm drooling here. That cake sounds delicious. I love lemon flavour in sweet things almost as much as chocolate. Sigh. I'm off to find a Greek lemon syrup cake recipe.
DeleteHere's a link to the one I use -- a recipe from Barbara Hannay. Seriously, this is divine. :-)
Deletehttp://www.chocolateboxwriters.com/an-easy-and-delicious-greek-lemon-cake/
Oh wow, thank you. :)
DeleteSue, three sources of chocolate! You're a wicked temptress! These brownies are now on my MUST try list!
ReplyDeleteMight need to look at the Greek lemon cake too. One of my newest faves in the orange cake that I blogged about recently. Just got the last one out of the freezer the other day when we had visitors for lunch. Freezer now empty of treats and looking for a new stash... do you think those brownies would freeze...
LOL Sharon. Have just had a piece from freezer into microwave a few seconds and oh yum. The chocolate drops/buttons melt and what can I say but do it.
DeleteSeriously, these brownies are well received by everyone I've cooked them for, and they always come back for seconds and thirds.
Sue, the last couple of years my fave indulgences have been brunch treats. Ricotta hotcakes with plums and honey was last summer's. Not sure what this summer's will be. Our treat is a long, leisurely catch up with friends or family outdoors under our pergola with lots of yummy food and good coffee, listening to the birds and catching up on news. Love the look of those brownies!
ReplyDeleteRicotta hotcakes? Yum. There are some amazing food ideas out there. I've just been reading the Cuisine magazine over breakfast and want to make about half the recipes. I'll be walking eight hours a day, not 8 kms.
ReplyDeleteThey look delish!!! I am a huge brownie fan, so I'll have to try these out. We've been making a lot of pumpkin pie in this house and it's actually very easy (well, I cheat and don't make my own pastry...so that's why it's easy haha)
ReplyDelete