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

We’re moving quickly into the season of many celebrations, and if you’re like me, you’re always on the lookout for amazing appetizers that look impressive yet are easy to make. These fig and goat cheese apps really fit the bill. They’re salty and sweet, crunchy yet creamy–the perfect combination of flavors and textures. They’re also perfectly gorgeous!

It’s just past fig season, but if you look around you’ll find them in some form or another. I found mine (dried Calimyrna figs) at Trader Joe’s. You can make the tapenade a few days in advance so all you’ll need to do is assemble them the day you need them, which is exactly what I’ll be doing next week in preparation for Thanksgiving!

Figs are a great source of fiber (5 grams in a quarter cup) even if they are pretty sugary. Goat cheese tends to be lower in fat and calories than many cow’s milk products, and its stronger flavor allows a little to go a long way, which is perfect when you’re entertaining.

Whether you’re looking for an impressive opener or something flavorful to enjoy with a glass of wine after a long day — give these a try. You won’t be sorry. Enjoy!

Fig and Pecan Tapenade with Goat Cheese
(adapted from Bon Appétit)
1 cup chopped dried figs
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup pitted chopped Kalamata olives
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans, plus whole pecans for topping
Salt and ground fresh pepper
2 5-oz. logs soft, fresh goat cheese
Assorted crackers

Combine figs and water in medium saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat until all the liquid is gone and the figs are soft, around 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and add the olives, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and pecans. Mix well and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Crumble goat cheese onto crackers, top with tapenade, and place a whole pecan on top.

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