Double Fudge Brownies

Due to my serious sweet tooth, dessert was always important to me. Mom often made brownies, which I love. Mom's recipe box has a bunch of brownie recipes. I do not remember all of them and I am not sure which one she made most often, so I will have to try them all to determine the best recipe.

This brownie recipe results in excellent brownies. These brownies are a good blend of cake and fudge texture. The flavor is rich but not too rich. All around, these are delicious brownies. I recommend enjoying these brownies warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Double Fudge Brownies 

• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup butter
• 1/4 cup water
• 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/1 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• optional: 1 cup nuts

In a saucepan, combine the sugar, butter, and water; bring just to a boil. Remove from heat. Add chocolate chips and vanilla; stir until chocolate melts. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Blend in the baking soda and salt. Gradually add in flour. Spread the batter in a greased 13x9 pan. Bake at 325 for 50 minutes. Allow to cool. Enjoy!

Honey Oatmeal Bread

Mom regularly made bread when I was a kid. While her French Bread was the standard bread, she would occasionally try other breads. Her recipe box is filled with recipes for delicious breads. I remember some, but others I don't remember. Nevertheless, I am lucky to be able to try out all these recipes.

This honey oatmeal bread is excellent. Like all yeast breads, I find it helpful to use a thermometer to make sure the water used with the yeast is about 120 degrees. Mom never used a thermometer, and I have no idea how she got the temperature right. I don't know how she does it. This recipe calls for the bread to be topped with poppy seeds. While I love poppy seeds, they are now all over my kitchen. So next time I make this bread, I might just use some oats on the top instead of poppy seeds.

Honey Oatmeal Bread

• 2 cups boiling water
• 1 cup dry rolled oats
• 2 packets yeast
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 tablespoon melted butter
• 5 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 egg yolk beaten
• 1/4 cup poppy seeds

Pour boiling water over rolled oats and let stand for half an hour. Soak yeast for 5 minutes in 1/3 cup lukewarm (120 degree) water. Add salt, honey and melted butter to the oats; stir in yeast. Gradually add enough flour to make dough kneadable. Knead for 5 to 10 minutes, adding flour as necessary until dough is smooth and elastic. Put in a big bowl, oil its surface and cover with a towel. Set in a warm place to rise. When dough has doubled in size, punch down the dough; divide in 2. Shape into two loaves and put in an 8x4 pan. Let dough rise until it reaches the top of the pan. Coat tops with egg yolk and sprinkle with poppy seeds. Bake at 375 for 45 minutes. Allow to cool before slicing. Enjoy!

Grandma's Anise Cookies

Going through Grandma's recipes, I came across this one called Anise Squares. Neither Mom nor I remember Grandma making these, but anise is a very traditional Italian flavor, and anise cookies can be found at Italian bakeries. Anise seeds have a licorice-like flavor. I had to try these cookies.

Grandma's recipe calls these squares, but mine did not come out quite as square, so I will just call them cookies. The recipe is easy but the dough requires refrigeration. The recipe called for ground anise seed, but I substituted anise extract and whole anise seed. The cookies are tasty treats, especially with a cup of coffee. I must admit that I had one or two at breakfast with my coffee.

Anise Cookies 

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon anise seed
• 1 teaspoon anise extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 cups flour

Cream butter  in a large mixing bowl and gradually add sugar stirring constantly until smooth. Add egg and blend well. Mix in anise seed and extract, salt, and baking powder. Gradually add in the flour and blend vigorously. When dough is smooth, divide into 3 or 4 sections. Shape each section into a log roll about 2 inches in diameter. Wrap each roll in wax paper. Place the rolls in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Cut the log rolls into thin slices. Arrange the slices on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 400 for 10 minutes. Allow to cool on a wire rack. Enjoy!