Orange Scented Brownies

I like one-pan batches of cookies because you mix the batter, pour it into the pan, and don’t have to go back and forth to the oven to pull out sheet after sheet of cookies. Mind you, I don’t mind doing that given the end result! On lazy days, however, a pan of brownies is work enough and leaves me time to quilt while it bakes and scents the house with chocolate. These freeze well if you should, by any chance, be able to save any of them for later!

Orange Scented Brownies
5 ounces baking chocolate
2 sticks butter
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon brandy
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup roughly chopped walnuts or pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch baking pan with vegetable spray.

Melt chocolate and butter together in microwave. Watch carefully to avoid burning. Let it cool for ten minutes. Place sugar in large bowl and mix in eggs, vanilla, brandy, and orange zest by hand until combined. Do not over beat. Add melted chocolate/butter mixture. Add flour until just blended and stir in nuts.

Spread batter in prepared pan. Bake for about 20 minutes or until a tester inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs not wet batter. Cool brownies an hour before cutting.

Makes about a dozen and a half bars.

Almond Butter Cookies

This is a fix-ahead dough for cookies. I like to make up a batch in the morning before I do the breakfast clean up and then bake them later in the day for a surprise treat or dessert. No weird ingredients, just nice, simple cookies.

Almond Butter Cookies
1 cup butter
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup finely chopped almonds

Beat butter with ½ cup sugar until light and fluffy. Add remaining ingredients, mixing well. Cover and refrigerate until well-chilled.

Shape dough into ½ inch rolls. Cut off two-inch pieces and taper ends of each before bending them into a crescent shape. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 15 minutes or until golden brown. When cool, dust with remaining sugar.

Makes approximately two dozen cookies.

Ideas . . .
Instead of the powdered sugar dusting, a drizzle of almond icing is nice.
I've done them with chocolate icing, too. The stripes of dark icing against the pale cookies is pretty.
If you decide on icing, some colorful sprinkles wouldn't be out of bounds.

Quotes Full of Truth . . .

"In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is stoned to death."
-- Joan D. Vinge

"The more I want to get something done, the less I call it work."
-- Richard Bach

"Three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead."
-- Benjamin Franklin

Thoughts for a Thursday . . .

I was thinking about the state of the world today. In a lot of ways it was a depressing thought. For a moment it seemed to me that we needed another Lourdes, a Fatima, a miracle or two to bring us reverently to our knees. Upon further reflection, I realized that even an extraordinary miracle would probably not be heeded by those who needed it’s revelations the most. In fact, the years have given us a multitude of miracles that stand tribute to our Faith yet, for some, the world continues in a spiritually downward spiral.

Then on even further contemplation, I realized that the world is full of miracles each and every day. It is the appreciation of the people that is lacking. We definitely do not have a deficiency when it comes to miraculous events!

Our daily miracles start early each morning. We wake up without mishap, healthy and able to pursue the challenges of a new day. The water runs hot and cold, we have food for breakfast and children to love. We have spent a secure night under the guardianship of our angels.

Each person’s day takes it own separate path. Some people experience more outward evidence of God’s continued power, some people quietly enjoy the serenity of it. Every 24 hours of our day are filled with strength, the expected, the hoped for, the unexpected, the longed for and the triumphant rewards of spiritual living. Mini and maxi-miracles color and encompass each moment of our lives.

A new baby is born, a child smiles, the car starts even when the mechanic feels there is no way it can make another trip. It is not just coincidence. These can be some of the miracles of our day.

There are many hectic moments when I watch the hands of the clock approach six in the evening. I'm behind in my dinner preparations. I turn it all over to our Blessed Mother, Mary, and somehow things smooth out before my husband comes home. He thinks it is a miracle that I can cope with all I have to do. He is exactly right! It is a miracle.

We take so many blessings for granted yet continue to watch for something spectacular to happen in our life time. We want a Lanciano, another Eucharistic miracle even though dozens of them have occurred and endure to this day. We attend Mass as often as possible where we do witness a Eucharistic miracle every single time. Do you always take the time to consider it as such?

"Because thou hast seen me, Thomas, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and have believed." (John Chapter 20, Verse 29)