Here you go June. Looking forward to the results of your taste test. Ann Decadent Brownies 1 Cup butter 20 Ounces chocolate 1-1/2 Cups sugar Pinch of salt 4 eggs 1 Cup flour vanilla to taste 1 Cup toasted pecans/walnuts (Optional: use 3/4 cup brown and 3/4 cup white sugar Add a shot of espresso Method One Melt chocolate and butter in microwave bowl. Beat in sugar and salt Beat in eggs add vanilla Mix in flour Mix in pecans. Pour into rectangle cake pan that has been lined with tin foil and rubbed with butter. Bake in oven at 350 for approximately 30 minutes. Do not over bake. Should still be soft in the middle. Put into freezer immediately for 1 hour or until cold. Cut into 8 bars and wrap each in plastic wrap and freeze. Method Two Another Option. Both methods are good and I use them interchangeably. Melt butter and sugar together over medium heat until the butter has melted and the mixture is smooth. Add the chocolate and stir until chocolate melts. Continuing stirring until the mixture is smooth. Add one egg at a time and mix until each is well incorporated before adding the next egg. Add vanilla (and espresso if using). Stir in flour and salt and mix well. Stir in the pecans or walnuts and pour into prepared pan. Bake in a 350 ðF for approximately 30 minutes. Do not over bake. Brownies should be set in the middle but still slightly soft. Place immediately in the freezer. When cold, remove and cut into bars. Wrap each bar in plastic wrap and store in the freezer.

Jo, scones and biscuits are basically the same thing. I think of biscuits as unsweetened or savory and scones as something sweet. I make biscuits with cheese and herbs (dill, thyme, rosemary, chives, etc..) and have added bacon, and ham and fried onions. Call them a scone or a biscuit it doesn't really matter. These can be made as rolled out biscuits/scones or as drop biscuits/scones. Just add a little extra cream/buttermilk. And you can serve these biscuits as a round or cut into triangles like scones. Here is the recipe I use for biscuits. You will notice that there isn't much difference. I use cream or buttermilk. With the buttermilk the only change I make is to add a little baking soda. scone shape biscuits rolled and cut drop biscuits Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table Country Biscuits ================ Edited/November 2005 2 cups of flour 1 Tablespoon of baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup shortening, lard, crisco or butter (I use butter) 1 cup of milk (cream) or buttermilk if using buttermilk add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda) Optional. Add a little sugar if you prefer sweet rather than savory. Mix the flour with the baking powder, and salt. Cut in shortening until it resembles coarse meal. Stir milk or cream in to flour mixture. Mix quickly with fork until dough comes together. Using hands gently pat the ingredients together. Do not over handle. Pat out to about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick on a lightly floured board. Cut with biscuit cutters and place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and bake for approximately 12 to 15 minutes at 450°F. If making cheese biscuits add the mustard and cayenne to the dry ingredients and add the cheese after the shortening has been cut into the flour. (Note: to cut in shortening either use a pastry blender or put the dry ingredients along with the shortening in a food processor and pulse until the fat is the size of little peas. Do not over process. Pour the mixture into a bowl and add the liquid stirring with a fork.) (Options: For cheese biscuits, add cayenne pepper, dry mustard and some shredded cheddar cheese) or add some fried ham and green onions with the cheese) Option for using Blue Cheese(s): Add chopped green onion and Gloucestershire cheese or another type of blue cheese. And black pepper to taste. Other addtions:Bacon, ham, fried onions, chives or other herbs.....etc.

Thanks for posting the recipe, Ann! Looks like a simple one that lets the flavor of a few choice ingredients shine. A nice change from a lot of the over-the-top embellished cookies the season brings which, though fun, can be a little cloying for grown-up tastes. We're having a snowstorm today. Would love to make some up to enjoy w/ a cup of tea after we shovel out tonight!

Okay, the maple syrup isn't moldy. Yippee! Monster puppy is being a dream. Have the extra large crate from our beloved GSD, 'Kota, who went to the Rainbow Bridge in June. It was totally cleaned and bought an new pillow for it but Sig isn't interested. This is a 96.4 lb. GS pup that was never allowed to be a puppy - no toys, no treats and rough handling. He has no bad habits, but really stresses out out times. Does love little bits of my cooking, though, if offered. ;) Now on to the yummy Maple Cream Fudge.