Sudden Tuesday Night Brownies

I got up an hour early this morning in order to get to work for a mandatory meeting.

I spent a long day at work solving other people's problems.

I came home, had a glass of wine and opened up the latest issue of "Cooking With Paula Deen" that came in the mail today.

ORANGE HAZELNUT BROWNIES!!!

Damn it . . . I don't have all of the ingredients that Paula Deen calls for.  So what!!!  I always alter and improvise . . . so I am making some brownies . . . Orange Pumpkin Pie Spice Almond Brownies!!!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup Dutch processed cocoa
• 1 tablespoon instant coffee
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1 teaspoon strong orange extract
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup Planters Pumpkin Pie Spice Almonds, chopped

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with foil.
3. Lightly grease foil.
4. In a large bowl, stir together sugar, cocoa, and instant coffee.  Add eggs, melted butter, and orange extract.
5. Beat at medium speed with a mixer until smooth.
6. Stir together flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.
7. Add flour mixture and 2/3 of the chopped nuts to the egg mixture, stirring until just combined.
8. Pour batter into prepared pan.
9. Sprinkle with the remaining nuts.
10. Bake for 22 minutes.
11. Cool completely.
12. Lift from pan using the foil as handles.
13. Remove foil and serve.

My mother said that these brownies just melted in her mouth . . . and she had never had a brownie do that before.

Please note . . . Cooking these brownies for 22 minutes leaves them slightly under-cooked in the center.  I particularly like my brownies this way, but if you like a more "done" brownie, you can cook these for up to 26 minutes, totally depending on your personal tastes.

So, my next two endeavors are going to be Ratatouille and Corned Beef.

Ratatouille . . . I want to make the kaleidoscopic, layered and beautiful version that was in the cartoon Ratatouille . . . and not the soggy, peasant stew version.  So I found a recipe for Ratatouille's Ratatouille . . . and I will be making it this coming weekend.

And some time between Thanksgiving and Christmas I plan to try my hand at making homemade corned beef and Thousand Islands Dressing.  Why?  Because I want to . . . and I want to make homemade Reuben sandwiches.  YAY!!!  ***DROOL***

Keep watching for these and other new, fun, and interesting dishes!