SUE'S BROWNIES

For the last few weeks I have been taking sweets to our Sunday school class by requests. It all started when I made some Cranberry - Orange Scones from the Biltmore Estate and took to church to share with the members of our class who were helping out with hospitality. Mike said why should the class eat the donuts that the church offers, when I could bring something for everyone.  When it came up in class the next week, Rick immediately requested something with cherries and then Jim asked for chocolate. 

Well, last Sunday was our last meeting for this year and Rick who had been leading our study on Hebrews thought it would be nice to have members bring food for a brunch. Since I had Jim's request left to honor, I said I would bring brownies. 

I found Sue's Brownies in The Farmhouse Kitchen cookbook, Amish Community Cooking from Greenville, PA. Since I wanted to cut the brownies in shapes instead of squares and Matthias & Naomi Mast's recipe made such a large pan (11 x 17 - inch pan), I thought it sounded like the perfect recipe to try.

The brownies are delicious cakelike - brownies. Even though they have what I consider a lot of sugar, they don't taste real sweet. I was really pleased with my idea to cut them in shapes. I wasn't really happy with my attempts at decorating them and took icing to the class for anyone to decorate one. No one did. I would have liked seeing their ideas. You can see my attempts at the bottom.

SUE'S BROWNIES

1-1/2       cups butter (3 sticks)
2-1/2       cups sugar
6             eggs
3/4          cups cocoa
3/4          teaspoon baking powder
3/4          teaspoon salt
3             teaspoons vanilla
3             cups flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour an 11 x 17 - inch pan.

Cream butter and sugar together til smooth. 

Add eggs.

Combine the dry ingredients - cocoa, baking powder, salt, and flour in a medium size bowl with a whisk.

Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture.

Beat til smooth.

Add vanilla.

Spread batter

evenly in prepared pan.

Bake for 35 minutes.









For variation sprinkle with chocolate chips before baking. (I would have done this if it hadn't been that I wanted to cut the brownies into stocking shapes.)

While still warm sprinkle with powdered sugar (if you like).

Let cool before cutting.

I cutout stocking shapes with my stocking cookie cutter to take to our Sunday school brunch.

Can decorate with icing, if you like.