Brass WOW

Very cold weather is said to be brass monkey weather, I don't have brass monkeys but I do have a brass wombat. It is designed to fit over a garden tap handle as a decorative feature. Kevin found it for me a few years ago, his job at the time entailed going into hardware shops which often have good garden departments with all sorts of interesting things for sale. Including brass wombats.

Have just finished reading "Entombed" by Linda Fairstein, a writer who has written other books I have enjoyed reading. I like police/detective novels, the unravelling of a mystery can be fascinating. One of the cases in this book had connections to the life and work of Edgar Poe, did you know the name Allan in the middle wasn't part of his actual name? Looking at her website, her new book is "Lethal Legacy" set in the New York Public Library...sounds like an interesting read! Must keep an eye out for it at my local library.

The pecan brownies were/are very yummy. I cut them into small pieces rather than large slices so we can have a piece with a coffee or tea and not feel too guilty. In case you should feel inspired to don an apron and pick up a wooden spoon, here is the recipe:

Pecan Brownies

155g butter, melted
1 1/2 cups caster sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup plain flour
1/4 teaspoon salt - optional
1 1/2 cups chopped pecan nuts

It is important to melt the butter. If not, the mixture requires too much beating which over-aerates it. The mixture needs to be dense to hold nuts evenly throughout. Also, mixture will sink slightly after taking from oven.

Mix together melted butter and sugar with a wooden spoon. Add eggs one at a time, beat lightly. Stir in vanilla essence and beat until creamy. Fold in sifted cocoa powder, flour (and salt if used) and mix until combined. Stir in pecan nuts. Pour into a greased and base lined 20cm square cake pan, bake in moderate oven for 55 minutes or until cooked when tested. Cool completely in pan. Turn out, cut into squares. Top has crusty sheen and deliciously moist centre. Serve with your choice of tea or coffee and enjoy! I'm sure it could also be yummy in large squares with cream or ice cream. Or even both, if you wish - why not?

I have read some very nice recipes in blogs recently, so thought I would contribute one too. It's an Aussie recipe so the quantities are metric, however there are conversion sites online if you wish to use other measurements. Plain flour is flour that has no leavening agent - baking powder, bi-carb, whatever - added, it may go by a different name in other countries. And the cocoa powder has to be pure cocoa, not drinking chocolate which has had sugar added. There's enough sugar in the recipe for a sugar hit, without needing any extra! If anyone makes it I would be interested to know.

Have a lovely week.

Jennifer