posted
I'm a big fan of brownies. I like to bake, and brownies are one of my specialities. I've been using the same brownie recipe for more years than I will admit to here. I always get good results with it, it's easy to "customize" the brownies by adding nuts or marshmallows or whatever, and I've always gotten lots of compliments whenever I bring my brownies to a dinner or party.
In another forum I frequent, I followed a discussion about brownies, and the relative merits of cocoa powder vs. unsweetened or bittersweet chocolate. My recipe uses cocoa powder, and I've never felt the need to use anything else-especially considering the size of my family and the frequency that I make (made) brownies, cocoa powder was an economic necessity.
Well, I was curious, and I had some unsweetened chocolate in the house, so yesterday, I made some brownies using that instead of cocoa powder. They were very good, but I didn't really think they were any better than my brownies. I commented to my family that I didn't think they were worth the extra work and expense.
I brought a couple of the brownies to work in my lunch, thinking that I'd share them with my office mate. Oh my stinking heck... they are SOOOOOO much better today than they were yesterday. I take back everything I said about how they weren't worth the extra work. Words do not do justice to these brownies (and no, I did not share the extra brownie with my co-worker).
Now that my household size is about a fifth what it once was, using more expensive chocolate is not as out of the question as it used to be. I'm hooked for sure.
In case you're wondering, here's the recipe:
Brownies (adapted from a Cook's Country recipe) 3 oz unsweetened chocolate 1/2 cup butter, cut into a few pieces 1 cup sugar 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp salt 2 large eggs, room temperature 1 tsp vanilla extract 2/3 cup all purpose flour
Preheat the oven to 325F. Grease a 9x9 inch baking pan (or use the Baker's Edge) and set aside. Melt together the butter and chocolate, heating it in brief intervals in the microwave and stirring frequently. Set aside to cool slightly, for about 2 minutes. In a large bowl, beat together sugar, baking powder, salt, eggs and vanilla until smooth. Quickly beat in the cooled butter mixture, then stir in the flour until the batter is just combined. Scrape into prepared pan and use a spatula to spread it evenly. Bake for 22-24 minutes (22 for the larger pan size).
posted
Hehe, it made sense to me, because I'm pretty sure unsweetened chocolate comes in one ounce cubes, so you need 3, being three cubes.
Posts: 5362 | Registered: Apr 2004
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posted
I have an amazing recipe for rocky road brownies that uses 3 kinds of chocolate. I'll have to look it up now.
Am I the only one who thought that this thread would be about Girl Scout Brownies? Just me? Must be a Georgia thing.
Posts: 3037 | Registered: Jan 2002
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posted
I would have thought it was about girl scout brownies if I wasn't pretty sure her youngest daughter was at least old enough for cadet girl scouts.
Posts: 5362 | Registered: Apr 2004
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Girlscouts are brownies. From grades 1-3 I believe. They wear little brown outfits and are cute. Grades 4-6 are Juniors, 7-8 Cadets, 9+ Seniors. Kindergartners are daisys, brothers and children younger are tagalongs. At least that was how it was when I quit about five years ago.
Posts: 5362 | Registered: Apr 2004
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posted
Duh... Yeah, I remember that now. Yes, my girls are all much too old for any of those groups. Obviously I only have one definition of brownie...except the little Brownies in Willow who steal the baby from Mad Martigan.
Posts: 2069 | Registered: May 2001
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Oh, I thought one of your girls was still at least in high school, but otherwise yeah I was pretty sure they were grown ups.
Posts: 5362 | Registered: Apr 2004
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quote:Originally posted by breyerchic04: I would have thought it was about girl scout brownies if I wasn't pretty sure her youngest daughter was at least old enough for cadet girl scouts.
I thought they didn't have Cadets any more. They still have Daisies, Brownies, and Juniors, but didn't they morph together Cadets and Seniors into something else? (I may be totally off here.)
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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quote:Originally posted by breyerchic04: Oh, I thought one of your girls was still at least in high school, but otherwise yeah I was pretty sure they were grown ups.
Two in high school, at least till the end of May, but they're FAR too old for girl scouts (at least they think so).
Posts: 2069 | Registered: May 2001
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quote:Originally posted by breyerchic04: I would have thought it was about girl scout brownies if I wasn't pretty sure her youngest daughter was at least old enough for cadet girl scouts.
I thought they didn't have Cadets any more. They still have Daisies, Brownies, and Juniors, but didn't they morph together Cadets and Seniors into something else? (I may be totally off here.)
Last I'd heard they were still separate, though they earn the same badges and whatnot (other than silver and gold awards). Though I suppose if the change was made in the last two years I wouldn't know about it. I graduated in Fall 2005, and upgraded to an adult member, but I've been out of the loop since I started college.
Posts: 1547 | Registered: Jan 2004
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posted
I'm having trouble finding verification of that online and my friend who would know isn't online.
Posts: 5362 | Registered: Apr 2004
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I was just under the impression that they now meet together. I may be wrong.
In any case, they have made a lot of changes in the program, especially for older girls, and made the uniforms a LOT more casual and "hip" in the last few years. I know a lot of parents (and some girls) who are not happy about it at all. Many of the families I know are actually moving away from GSUSA altogether, because they are so unhappy with the changes, and have joined alternatives instead (there are several out there, the more conservative and/or religious families seem to be migrating toward the American Heritage Girls in droves.)
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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It was official here, boytags had their own daycamp group.
And I think that cadets and seniors might be allowed to meet together now, but still are allowed seperately, based on numbers. Becky still hasn't gotten back to me.
Posts: 5362 | Registered: Apr 2004
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quote:Originally posted by ketchupqueen: I thought they didn't have Cadets any more. They still have Daisies, Brownies, and Juniors, but didn't they morph together Cadets and Seniors into something else? (I may be totally off here.)
Last I'd heard they were still separate, though they earn the same badges and whatnot (other than silver and gold awards). Though I suppose if the change was made in the last two years I wouldn't know about it. I graduated in Fall 2005, and upgraded to an adult member, but I've been out of the loop since I started college.
Quoth my daughter (who is a Cadet): Seniors and Cadets have different handbooks, but the same badge book, and same uniform.
As for how they meet, she doesn't know. Her troop is less than a year old, and doesn't have any yet. Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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