Recipes that appear in Idea Alley have not been tested by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
This brownie recipe is from Jenny Ann Boyer.
"I have made enough of these brownies to cover Lee County," Boyer writes.
The original recipe is from Progressive Farmer magazine.
Best Brownies
Brownies:
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate OR 6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup butter OR margarine (Boyer uses Blue Bonnet)
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped pecans
Frosting:
1/2 cup butter or margarine
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
6 tablespoons milk
1 pound confectioners' sugar
For the brownies: Heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
In a double boiler or saucepan set over low heat, melt chocolate and butter, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Add the sugars, vanilla and eggs and mix well. Then stir in the flour, salt and nuts. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes.
For the frosting: In a small saucepan, melt the butter and cocoa, then add the milk and bring to a boil. Boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
Add the confectioners' sugar and beat until smooth. Spread on hot brownies. (Frosting is also good on cake, Boyer notes.)
"I have used so many recipes from your column that I thought it was way past time for me to submit my own favorites! Here are some of our family favorites. This is my way of thanking all the other Alley Kats for sharing their secrets over the years," Ann Applegate writes.
"This is from my husband's grandmother, Helen Parmalee Applegate. She always had homemade mayonnaise and mustard for turkey sandwiches after our Thanksgiving feast."
Mustard
1/2 cup Coleman's dry mustard
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
Pinch salt
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 knob of butter about the size of a walnut
Mayonnaise, optional
Mix the dry mustard with the cider vinegar and let stand overnight.
In the morning, combine the sugar, salt and egg and mix well. Add to the mustard mixture. Add butter and cook in a double boiler until thick. Can be thinned with mayonnaise.
Makes a generous cup.
"This recipe is from my aunt Gertrude Slaven from Philadelphia, Pa. She was a gourmet cook without a dishwasher (!) and lived in a very small apartment in center city Philadelphia. I was always amazed at the wonderful dishes that came out of that tiny kitchen," Applegate writes.
Broiled Skewered Scallops
1 pound sea scallops (not bay scallops)
½ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice, from about 2 limes
1 to 2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon rosemary
Salt and ground black pepper
Combine all ingredients and marinate 2 hours to overnight in refrigerator.
Heat broiler.
Remove scallops from marinade and thread onto skewers.
Broil on skewers 5 minutes each side or until cooked through. (Aunt Gertrude's note: "A very tasty dish; depending on size of the scallops, time may be shorter.")
Send recipe contributions, requests and culinary questions to Kelly Brant, Idea Alley, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, Ark. 72203; email:
kbrant@arkansasonline.com
Please include a daytime phone number.
Food on 02/17/2016