Making Texas Brownies

photo courtesy of... retorte.blogspot.com
Yes, I had to use someone's photo, because stupid here forgot to take a picture, again.

I made these a few days ago for my wife's friend at work and I decided that you may all want to have a go at these brownies. I have made these several times over the years and I must say that it is the best brownie recipe I have ever come across. I originally got this recipe from About.com and I will provide a direct link to them at the end of this article. In the meantime, sit back, grab a cold glass of milk, and get ready to enjoy some of the best brownies you will ever taste. Oh, in case you're wondering, yes, I allowed myself a small piece of one.


What you need...


For the brownies...


Flour...2 cups
Sugar...2 cups
Butter...½ cup
Shortening...½ cup
Coffee...1 cup strong (I use an instant espresso for this)
Unsweetened cocoa...¼ cup
Buttermilk...½ cup
Eggs...2
Baking soda...1 tsp.
Vanilla Extract...1 tsp.


For the frosting...


Butter...½ cup
Milk...¼ cup
Cocoa...2 Tbsp
Powdered sugar...1 ½ cups
Vanilla Extract...1 tsp

Putting it together...

1. Preheat oven to 400°
2. Lightly grease an 11 X 17 inch baking pan (I don't have a pan of this size, so I just used a 9 X 13 inch pan and it worked just fine)
3. Grab a large bowl and add the flour and the sugar
4. Mix well
5. In a large saucepan, add butter, shortening, coffee, and cocoa
6. Over medium-high heat, stir constantly until the mixture boils (this takes about ten to fifteen minutes)
7. Once it comes to a boil, pour over the flour/sugar mixture
8. Using a whisk, mix to combine
9. Add buttermilk, eggs, baking soda, and vanilla
10. Mix until combined and then pour into you baking dish
11. Bake for 20 minutes
The Frosting...
1. Whilst the brownies are baking, grab a saucepan and over medium-high heat, combine the butter, cocoa, and milk
2. Stir constantly until it comes to a boil
3. When it boils, turn-off the heat and add the powdered sugar and vanilla
• I add the sugar ½ cup at a time and mix well after each addition.
Back to the brownies...
12. Using a toothpick or a knife, insert into the center of the brownies, if it comes out clean, your brownies are done
13. If it does not come out clean, bake a few more minutes and recheck
14. Continue with step 13 until they are done
15. Once done, remove from oven and immediately pour frosting over your brownies
16. While your brownies cool, take a glass of milk and place in freezer
17. Once brownies are cool, I take a pizza cutter and spray it with Pam and use that to cut the brownies
18. Grab your milk from the freezer and enjoy

texas brownies from about.com

Boise State Broncos in the Fiesta Bowl

photo courtesy of...collegefootball.about.com
I just wanted to let you know what I will be doing on Monday night...watching my #(6) Boise State Broncos beat the #(4) TCU Horned Frogs in the Fiesta Bowl. Both teams sport an undefeated record, so it should be a most excellent game (Sorry, I just watched Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure the other night). This is also the first time that two undefeated teams will meet in a BCS bowl game, without having the National Championship at stake.

I have already made a dip and will be sending my wonderful wife to the store tomorrow (I have to teach) to grab some veggies. I would much rather have pizza, chips, and anything else that may be greasy and bad for me, but I really don't want to spend the next several weeks trying to undo the damage of one evening. So, we will be good and have broccoli, carrots, celery, and maybe some cherry tomatoes. I really do like vegetables, but only if you add something fattening to them, such as a dip or cheese. I know, this somewhat negates the nutritional benefits of eating them, but let's just say that I am taking baby steps. Some day, I may be able to eat broccoli plain or not put peanut butter on my celery, but not just yet.

Anyway, I want to congratulate the Boise State Broncos on their fantastic season and I wish them all the best at the Fiesta Bowl. You can be sure that I will be cheering them on!

How to Boil an Egg

While watching television last night, I saw a commercial for a hard boiled egg cooker. I couldn't believe that someone would actually need to but something like that. Yes, you can use it to steam veggies, but can't you just use a strainer and a pot of water to accomplish the same thing? Anyway, in my constant pursuit to find just about anything to write about and to save you $19.95, I have decided to share the procedure I use to hard boil eggs. I realize that this may seem like a very basic skill, but I also know that there are many out there that may not know how to do this. So, without further delay, here it is...

I am using large grade AA eggs. If you use smaller eggs, your time may vary.

What to do...

1. Get a pin and pierce the eggshell at the flat-end. There is a small air sack located here and by making a small pinhole here, you will help minimize the possibility of your egg cracking during the boiling (this is an optional step)
2. Place your eggs in the bottom of a pan
3. Add enough cold water to cover the eggs
4. Add a pinch of salt
5. Place lid on the pan, but allow the steam to escape
6. Place pan on the stove and turn to high
7. When the water starts to boil, set your timer for eight minutes
8. Let boil
• For a soft-boiled egg it was suggested by one of my commentors to just leave them for three to four minutes
9. After ten minutes, remove from heat and pour-out the water
10. Add cold water to the eggs and then pour out
11. Repeat three to four times
• This procedure stops the cooking process
12. Add cold water or ice and allow to set until the eggs are cool
13. You should end up with a hard boiled egg with a nice orange yolk. Now, if you like to have a yellow yolk with that wonderful green ring around it, increase the time by two to three minutes

Peeling the little guys...

1. Crack your egg from top to bottom
2. Under cold water, rub the egg between your hands. This will help loosen the membrane that is between the shell and the egg and make the shell come off much easier
3. Peel your egg