Brownie add-ins: Amaretto, orange

LITTLE ROCK — Recipes that appear in Idea Alley have not been tested by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

Mark Poe shares this brownie recipe, which he adapted to include amaretto and orange.

“I made these for Christmas and everyone loved them,” Poe writes.

Amaretto Orange Brownies

1/3 cup butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons water

1 cup semisweet chocolate pieces

2 eggs

1 teaspoon orange extract

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chopped pecans, optional

2 to 3 tablespoons arametto liqueur

For the frosting:

3 tablespoons butter, softened

11/2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar

2 to 3 teaspoons milk, or more as needed

1/4 teaspoon orange extract

1 ounce semisweet chocolate, melted

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease an 8-inch square pan; set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine the 1/3 cup butter, granulated sugar and water.

Cook, stirring, over medium heat until mixture reaches a boil.

Remove from heat. Stir in the chocolate pieces, stirring until melted. Add eggs and orange extract, beating lightly with a spoon until just combined. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt.

Stir in pecans, if using. Spread batter in prepared pan. Bake 20 minutes or until edges are set and begin to pull away from the sides of the pan.

Using a fork, prick the warm brownies several times. Drizzle the amaretto evenly over the brownies. Cool in pan on a wire rack.

For the frosting, in a small bowl, beat the 3 tablespoons of butter with an electric mixer on medium high speed for 30 seconds. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar, beating well. Slowly beat in 2 teaspoons of the milk and all of the orange extract. If mixture is too thick, add more milk a teaspoon or so at a time, to reach spreading consistency. Spread over cooled brownies. Drizzle with melted chocolate. Cut into bars.

Late last year Carol Scott requested a recipe for Mexican cornbread. We printed one, but it differed somewhat from Scott’s description. While leafing through a community cookbook, we found this one that sounds like exactly what Scott is looking for. It is credited to Betty Ann Scaife.

Mexican Cornbread

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup granulated sugar

4 eggs

1 (16-ounce) can cream-style corn

1/2 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese

11/2 cups grated cheddar cheese

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 (8 1/2-ounce) package Jiffy corn muffin mix

Jalapeno slices, optional

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and mix well.

In a separate bowl, mix corn, cheeses, flour, salt and cornbread mix. Add jalapeno, if using. Add egg mixture to corn mixture and stir until just combined. Pour into a greased 9-by-13-inch baking dish and bake 40 to 45 minutes.

REQUESTS

Macaroni and cheese like that served at Panera Bread for Laura Brown.

Kraut and Weenie Stew for Judy Riggson. The recipe was published in the 1970s and included — you guessed it — sauerkraut and frankfurters.

Send recipe requests, contributions and culinary questions to Kelly Brant, Idea Alley, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, Ark. 72203; e-mail:

kbrant@arkansasonline.com