Thank You Brownies

Yesterday when I got off work at 8:30pm my car wouldn't start. It's never good when you turn the key and all you get in return is a ticking sound. I called my hubby and found out we don't have jumper cables. I need to put that on my shopping list because you really should have those in your car. Fortunately for me our security guard had jumper cables and was willing to help me. We soon found out that my battery was on one side while his battery was on the other and so he had to move my car out of the parking space so it could face his car. He did that with the help of a patron dropping off his material. So he gets the cables on and it takes awhile for my car to come alive.

I get from our parking lot to the stop sign to get out on Front street and my car refuses to go any further. It was strange because I don't think it died but it wouldn't move. While this is going on Joyce and Cody are waiting for me at my house because we are supposed to go out for $1 tacos at Cagney's. Joyce calls and I tell her I'm stuck so they come to help me move my car out of the way. That didn't happen because my car wouldn't go into neutral. All three of us tried and my gear shift would not move. I call Will. He comes and still nothing. The girls leave for tacos and Will goes home to get some tools but nothing works. I had to have it towed. Towing isn't cheap. Cost me $65 and I probably have to replace my alternator that is only a year old. Boo! I finally got home at 10:30 freezing and poor Will missed work to help me out.

To thank our security guard for helping me I made him brownies. These are made from scratch brownies. I never realized how easy brownies are to make from scratch. Just as easy as making a box mix. I liked these brownies because they were thick and solid. You could really sink your teeth into them. Not as moist as a box mix but not dry either and I liked them cold. I doubled the recipe so I could use a 9X13 pan instead of a 9 inch pan. I got the recipe out of a Brownie cookbook I got for Christmas. A cookbook all about brownies. The possibilities are endless.

Basic Cocoa Brownies
as seen in Good Housekeeping's Brownies cookbook

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1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 ts. baking powder
1/4 ts. salt
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 ts. vanilla
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped (Optional)
1 bag milk chocolate chips

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Line 9-inch square baking pan with foil, grease foil. In small bowl combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt mixing together with a wire whisk.

In a 3 quart saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Stir in eggs one at a time until well blended. Add vanilla. Stir flour mixture into sugar mixture until blended. Stir in nuts, if using. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan.

Bake until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Pour on milk chocolate chips and let melt. Spread over brownies evenly. Cool completely.

When cool, lift foil, with brownie, out of pan. Peel foil away from sides. Cut into 4 strips, then cut each strip crosswise into 4 pieces.

I doubled the recipe and used a 9X13 pan. I didn't use walnuts. Since I didn't have chocolate frosting I used milk chocolate chips.