Kitchen Sink Brownies

Happy 2011 everyone! Ready to blow your New Years resolution to eat healthy already? I mean, it’s been three whole days, right?!?

I came across this brownie recipe in a holiday magazine and had been dying to make it all season. I finally gave in to temptation over the weekend and made up a batch for the girls at work. I made a few (needed) modifications and they came out great. These little babies are riiiiich, so feel free to cut them smaller than you would a normal brownie. I’m calling them Kitchen Sink Brownies because well, they literally have a little bit of everything but the kitchen sink.

Kitchen Sink Brownies

1 c quick-cooking rolled oats
½ c all-purpose flour
½ c brown sugar
¼ t baking soda
1 egg, lightly beaten
¾ c sugar
2/3 c flour
¼ c milk
¼ c butter
1 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
1 t vanilla
¼ t baking powder
½ c chopped walnuts
1 oz unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 T butter
1 ½ c powdered sugar
½ t vanilla
2 T hot water
2 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. For bottom layer, in a small bowl stir together oats, ½ c flour, brown sugar and baking soda, Add ½ c melted butter. Press evenly into bottom if an ungreased 11 x 7 baking pan. Bake for 10 mins.

While the first layer bakes, begin combining ingredients for the middle layer in a medium bowl. Stir together egg, sugar, flour, milk , 1/4c melted butter, melted chocolate, vanilla and baking powder. Fold in walnuts and let cool. Spread evenly over bottom layer. Bake approx 25 mins or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place on wire rack to cool.

For the top layer, in a medium saucepan combine the 1 oz chopped chocolate, and the last 2 T of butter. Cook and stir over low heat until melted. Stir in powdered sugar and add remaining vanilla. Add enough hot water to make mixture a spreading consistency. Spread chocolate mixture over middle layer. Sprinkle with the 2 oz of bittersweet chocolate(I’m also thinking that peanut butter or butterscotch chips could be fun variations). Cool completely. Cut into bars. Makes 16-24 brownies.

{snapshots of brownies}

Candyland

Today my family and I had a lovely Minnesota autumn day. We busted out the fall sweaters and made the trek down south to an apple orchard. We enjoyed a hearty country breakfast, sampled all of the apple varieties, made our way through the fall/Halloween décor at the General Store and even saw a camel. That’s right, Minnesota apple orchards have camel rides. Totally normal. It was a lovely morning and we left armed with more apples than any one family needs. Ever. (Expect to see some apple recipes coming up!)

On the way home we spotted this:

{image borrowed from here}

If you know us at all, then you know that OF COURSE we stopped! It’s Minnesota’s Largest Candy Store. I don’t even know what it’s really called other than that as that’s what the huge sign off the highway said…maybe that’s its name? I just did a quick Google search for it and nothing really came up. It’s off of hwy 169 about halfway between Jordan and Belle Plaine, MN. Or maybe it exists only in my dreams?

As you enter, you are greeted by a giant indicator light letting you know whether or not fresh pies are baking (they were). Inside is a haven of pies, strudels, nut rolls, jams, cookies, cookie cutters, apples (who even needs to go to the orchard), salsas, hundreds of kinds of root beer and other pop in real glass bottle etc, etc, etc, etc. Oh yes, and CANDY. Serious candy. Hard candy, gummy candy, gross candy, vintage candy, new candy, candy that you probably couldn’t even dream up. Chocolate that guarantees no weight gain? Yep, they have that. Candy cigarettes? Yep, multiple varieties actually. Bacon flavored bubble gum? Gross, but yep. Bubble gum flavored Mike and Ikes? Yep. Also gross sounding but indeed a real thing.

I now have a kitchen full of apples and candy and a serious test of willpower ahead! If you are up for a little Minnesota adventure, check it out!

{pies are baking}

{papa Tewks scoping out the root beer}

{candy cigarettes}

{candy}

Snapshots of a Weekend…

This past weekend, I volunteered to watch my “nephew” while my brother and sister in law were in Vegas. My “nephew” is a 10 month old Black Lab puppy. Emphasis on PUPPY. Think lots of running off energy at the dog park and very, very little sleeping. I found myself sticking close to home with him whenever possible. Even with very little uninterrupted sleep (apparently laying on your head is cuddling in puppy world); it turned out to be a lovely, low key weekend.



Clockwise from upper right…

1. worked at the shop
2. started my bookclub book which is set in Sweden so I treated myself to some Swedish Fish, naturally
3. movies and tea (Lemongrass Green Tea from Good Earth: I'm obsessed)
4. LOTS of caffeine to keep up with a puppy
5. more work at the shop
6. many, many walks to the dog park
7. some light baking*
8. sofa lounging with the pup

* I don’t bake. I just like to decorate the baked item so I buy the break-n-bake variety and simply roll it out. This gets me to the fun part much quicker. Perfect for my attention span.