We had a bit of a scaled-down celebration for Christmas this year, with several of our family members traveling outside of Kansas, so I very carefully considered what treats I would be making.
Normally, I overdo it with several types of candies and baked goods to share, but knowing that our group would be a bit smaller, I promised myself I would stick to only three things.
Well, I had to, of course, make my yearly batch of peppernuts. It just wouldn’t feel like Christmas without them.
Then I decided that I would go easy on myself and make just a few peanut clusters. You know, a couple dozen or so—a small batch.
And finally, I had to throw in a new recipe to try, and sticking to my simple theme for the year, I landed on what looked to be a yummy pan of pecan brownies. The recipe made a nice, eight-by-eight-inch batch of brownies that were perfect for our small celebration, and it’s a great one to keep in the recipe box for future gatherings. This comes from Taste of Home. You can find the original at https:// www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/pecan- brownies/. I doubled the vanilla in my version.
Pecan Brownies Ingredients
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3/4 cups flour
• 1 cup chopped pecans
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare an eight-by-eight-inch baking pan by lightly greasing it with butter, shortening or cooking spray. Set it aside.
In a medium-sized pot, melt the butter and chocolate, stirring constantly. Once they are completely melted, remove the pot from the heat and stir in the sugar.
Let the mixture cool for a few minutes.
Lightly beat the eggs in a small bowl, and add the eggs, vanilla and flour to the pot, stirring to combine everything well.
Finally, fold in the pecans (save a few to sprinkle on the top of the batter).
Spread the mixture into your prepared baking pan and sprinkle the top with a few pecan pieces.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let the brownies cool before slicing them and storing them in an air-tight container.
I liked these, because they were chocolatey and nutty and not sickeningly sweet. I also sliced them into small squares, which made them perfect for the Christmas snack table.
In addition to sharing these with our family, they were a nice addition to some Christmas gifts we dropped off with friends on Christmas Eve, and I was very happy with how they turned out.
Even better, they’re already gone and not hanging around on my kitchen counter, tempting me to have just one more.
I can’t quite say the same for the peanut clusters, but hey, at least I tried.
Spice Up Your Life is a weekly recipe column by Lindsey Young, who describes herself as an enthusiastic amateur cook and can be reached through her website at spiceupkitchen.net.
