The Fat Girl's Guide to Living

Sometimes a powerful craving strikes, but we don’t want to give in to it completely. Recently, I had a serious craving for cake — German Chocolate Cake, to be exact. And though I tried to shake it for days, the yearning would not go away. Sadly, with just the two of us in our house, we certainly don’t need the ongoing temptation of a full cake. And yet, there was the craving, stubbornly hanging on. Finally, rather than spend the next three days being preoccupied by chocolate and pecans and gooey coconut frosting, I found the perfect compromise: German Chocolate Brownies.

All the fun and flavor of a cake packed into a 9″x9″ pan of decadent brownies? It’s not too good to be true. They keep nicely for a few days in an airtight container (perfect if you’re a snacker), but you can also layer them with a little wax paper and freeze them for longer-term enjoyment. Of course, your neighbors would probably love you if you dropped by with a plate of these, too. Enjoy!

German Chocolate Brownies
(recipe courtesy of Baking Bites)
1/2 cup butter
3-oz semisweet chocolate or German sweet chocolate
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Topping
2 tbsp butter, melted
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup shredded coconut, sweetened or unsweetened
1/2 cup chopped, toasted and salted pecans
2 tbsp corn syrup
2 tbsp milk

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 9×9-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil.
In a microwave-safe bowl, melt together the butter and the chocolate. Stir until smooth and then allow to cool for several minutes. Pour into a large mixing bowl with sugar. Beat in vanilla extract and then add the eggs one at a time.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add to chocolate mixture and stir until everything is just combined and no streaks of flour remain. Pour into prepared pan.
Bake for 18-22 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with very moist crumbs, not just batter, attached.

While the brownies bake, prepare the topping. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and stir to combine. When brownies are done, gently spread the topping over the brownies, adding it in dollops to cover the whole surface evenly. Place pan under the broiler for 2-4 minutes, until topping has lightly browned. Watch closely so that it does not burn.

Cool completely before slicing. Store in an airtight container.

Makes 16 brownies

Thursday was one of those days. You know the kind of day I’m talking about – the classic “stress level’s through the roof, nothing’s going right, my inbox is overflowing with one crisis after another, can anyone tell me why I can’t catch a break?” kind of day. So, when I finally drug myself home after a positively lovely twelve hours at the office, it wasn’t a great moment when I realized that Thursday had crept up on me again and I had nothing to share for this week’s Foodie Friday.

On days like those, there’s only one thing that makes me feel better. That’s right, girls, say it with me… chocolate. I knew exactly what to make – to not only make myself feel better, but to equip you all with the perfect recipe for those “I need chocolate and I need it now” moments. So, next time you need a quick chocolate hit, pull out this recipe. You’ll be enjoying warm, chocolatey decadence in under thirty minutes. Ahhhhhhh….

Happy Friday and, for those of you in the States, enjoy the Labor Day weekend!

Molten Chocolate Cakes
7 ounces bittersweet chocolate
10 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon espresso powder (optional)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup flour
3 whole eggs
3 egg yolks

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Grease 6 (6-oz.) custard cups or souffle dishes. Place on baking sheet.

Microwave chocolate and butter in large microwaveable bowl on medium power (50%) for 2 min. or until butter is melted. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted. Stir in espresso powder and vanilla. Add powdered sugar and flour; mix well. Add eggs and egg yolks; beat until well blended. Divide batter evenly between prepared custard cups.

Bake 12-14 minutes or until cakes are firm around the edges but soft in the centers. Remove from oven and let stand for 1 minute. Run a small knife around cakes to loosen. Carefully invert cakes onto dessert dishes. Sprinkle lightly with additional powdered sugar and garnish with whipped cream or fresh fruit if desired. Serve immediately.

Yield: 6 little cakes

Looking for more great recipes? Visit my blog at
http://culinography.wordpress.com