Fudgy Brownies

I have eaten my fair share of brownies over the years, and have just stumbled upon one of the tastiest ones yet. I fall into the crispy-on-top, fudgy-in-the-centre camp, and these brownies, with the addition of chopped chunks of chocolate, strike the perfect balance.

The recipe from King Arthur Flour has a twist in its preparation. The butter and sugar is melted together, and then reheated a second time. This technique results in a thin, crispy, and shiny top crust. These brownies are so delectable that I almost single-handedly devoured the entire pan. Almost...

Fudgy Brownies

Yield: 24 servings

1 cup Unsalted Butter
2 1/4 cups Sugar
1 1/4 cups Dutch-Process Cocoa
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract
4 large Eggs
1 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour
2 cups chocolate, chopped into chunks, or chocolate chips

Optional: * 1 tsp Espresso Powder; 1 tsp Chocolate Extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9×13 inch pan or line with foil.

In a saucepan set over low heat, melt the butter. Add the sugar and stir to combine. Return the mixture to the heat and heat until mixture is very hot but not bubbling; it will become shiny looking as you stir it. Heating the butter and sugar a second time will dissolve more of the sugar, which will yield a shiny, crisp top crust.

Crack the eggs into a mixing bowl, and stir in the cocoa, salt, baking powder and vanilla (also, espresso powder and chocolate extract, if using). Mix in the hot butter/sugar mixture until combined. At this point, you can allow the mixture to cool slightly (20 minutes) if you do not want the chocolate chunks to melt into the batter. Otherwise, stir in the flour and chocolate chunks immediately until smooth. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for 28 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the centre comes out with a few crumbs. Remove from the oven. Cool completely, then cut and serve.

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The Power of Adrenaline

It was a searingly hot but quiet evening at the Starland Recreation Area near Drumheller, Alberta, and every camper was enjoying the outdoors. I had just finished grilling up some ground sirloin patties stuffed with cheddar, and had made a tasty-looking burger topped with crisp turkey bacon for my little girl. Without nary a warning, an ominous black cloud reached its destructive fingers over the western hills, whipping up a whirling sandstorm, and causing utter pandemonium.

It was only the women and children at our campsite as the men had headed off to the nearby fishing hole to try to catch some Goldeye. It appeared that it would simply be one of the regular Alberta summer thunderstorms; but, this one turned out to be the craziest storm we have yet to encounter. It was like something out of a disaster movie. The swirling sand blinded our eyes as we desperately sought refuge for the elderly and young children. Tarps went flying, trees were felled, and barbecues were overturned spilling glowing embers everywhere. I quickly put my little girl into our tent with her dinner, hoping that the storm would blow over quickly. I decided to go back outside to retrieve more of our things when I turned around and saw that the wind had completely flattened our tent right on top of my child. With a fierceness of a mother bear protecting her cub, I swiftly ran to the tent, and swooped up my daughter in my arms. It was an act fuelled by sheer adrenaline - I felt superhuman! Tears were flowing, but we managed to stay safe, and, as an added bonus, the burger was saved, too.

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