The Best Fudgy Brownies

YIELD: MAKES 16 BROWNIES

This recipe doubles wonderfully for a 9X13-inch pan. Just keep an eye on the baking time and adjust accordingly.

INGREDIENTS

• 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks or 5 ounces) butter
• 1 1/4 cups (9 7/8 ounces) sugar
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (2 7/8 ounces) unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-process)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup (2 3/8 ounces) all-purpose flour

DIRECTIONS

1. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F. Line the bottom and sides of an 8×8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper or foil, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides. Lightly grease with cooking spray and set aside.
2. Combine the butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt in a medium microwave-wafe bowl. Microwave for one minute intervals, stirring in between, until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth. Set the mixture aside until it cools slightly (is warm to the touch not hot). It will look gritty but it will become smooth once the other ingredients are added.
3. Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously after each one. When the batter looks thick, shiny, and well blended, add the flour and stir until you cannot see it any longer, then beat vigorously for 40 strokes with the wooden spoon or a rubber spatula. Spread evenly in the lined pan.
4. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center emerges slightly moist with batter, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely on a rack. After the brownies are cooled completely, I like to throw the pan in the refrigerator - cold brownies cut much easier and taste heavenly. Lift up the ends of the parchment or foil liner, and transfer the brownies to a cutting board. Cut into squares and serve.

Pumpkin pie

http://www.aspicyperspective.com/2013/11/pumpkin-cream-pie.html

Cubed Coffee (serves 4-6)

Required time: prep. 15 min., chilling: a min. of 6h, better over night

Coffee Jello
20 fl oz high quality low acid coffee
8 sheets of gelatine
2.12 oz (weight) brown sugar

Coconut Sauce4.25 fl oz heavy cream
4.25 fl oz coconut milk
3 egg yolks
1.4 oz (weight) sugar

Its pretty straight forward, and you can adjust the ratio between water and espresso in favor of the espresso. Just enough to give it more punch. The quality of the coffee is key. Blends that include any or a larger portion of Robusta beans may have a bitter/acidic influence on the taste and you would likely have to compensate with a bit more sugar. Try to go with Arabica coffee beans and have your favorite coffee shop grind them for you just when you need them. You could also buy a few double espresso shots.

For the jello, soak the gelatin sheets in cold water for 10 minutes. Add the brown sugar to a pot and bring to a boil. Remove when sugar is dissolved, and the well squeezed gelatin.

Choose a pan with proper proportions: for instance if you'd like to make larger cubes it may have to be a smaller one, with higher rims. The one I used was 6x6inch. Foil-line the pan; once firm, you can lift the foil right out and cut the jello cleanly. Chill for at least 6 hours, or better over night.

For the coconut sauce, first heat up heavy cream and coconut milk. In a seperate bowl, combine egg yolk and sugar and beat until the mass becomes creamy and pale in color. Now slowly add the warm milk to the mix, while stirring until well blended. Return the mass back to the pot and constantly turn and stir at medium heat (it should not boil!) until the mix has further thickened.

Strain the sauce through a sieve and serve with the espresso cubes.