Tuesday, 4/24

The notes have come from blog readers and Facebook friends alike--

“Stop the bragging and share the brownie recipe already!!”

The notes, of course, are referring to the brownies I made for Loraine for our anniversary this past weekend, as well as a picture I posted of them on social media after they were done. This picture, specifically--

And since people have asked, I'd be happy to share the recipe that I (somehow) came up with when Loraine had some Grand Marnier and a bunch of chocolate lying around.

Here ‘tis, with a warning--the Grand Marnier that’s in the ganache can be kind of expensive if you buy a whole bottle, so head to White's Party Store in Marquette, where you can buy in it a single serving bottle for 3 bucks, as opposed to 30 bucks for a full-sized bottle. Of course, if you like Grand Marnier, go ahead and buy the whole bottle. I’m sure it’ll be gone soon!

Anyway, make the brownies first. Combine 6 ounces of dark chocolate (at least 60%) and a stick of butter. Melt in a double boiler, stirring until smooth. Then add a quarter cup of unsweetened cocoa powder, a cup of sugar, and a pinch of salt, stirring until mixed. You can also throw in a little freshly grated orange zest or a teaspoon or so of orange juice, if you’d like. Add in two eggs and a half cup of flour, mix together, and bake in an 8 x 8 greased pan for a half an hour or so at 350. Let cool completely; you know, like overnight completely.

When the brownies are cool, make the ganache. Take another 6 ounces of at least 60% chocolate and a quarter cup of heavy cream (whipping cream works wonders). Warm up over a double boiler. When it’s smoothly melted, add in a tablespoon and a half of the Grand Marnier and a tablespoon of freshly grated orange zest. Mix well, and then spread over the brownies. Once the ganache hardens, dig in and don’t stop until you’re done (or until you get a stomach ache).

There you go, everyone. Bake, eat, and be merry!

(jim@wmqt.com)

(ps—know I was speaking about finally taking the plunge and getting my DNA tested to find out what makes me “me”? Well, the kit has been ordered. As soon as I spit into it and send it back, we're then on the countdown clock of six to eight weeks until another recipe—the one that makes up “me”--gets shared!)