Coooold, Chocolate.

I am grandmother to dragons!!

I have never known it so cold. We cannot get our apartment above about 69°F. We went out to lunch and getting into the restaurant was bad, but we survived it and had an enjoyable lunch. Matt got his birthday celebration (although his birthday isn't until the 4th) and everything was good. Cold getting back to the car but it didn't take long to warm up again. We then went to get the shopping, underground parking and you don't have to get out of the car, then we went to the liquor store. Bad getting in there, but coming out the wind decided to blow extra hard and it was a totally arctic blast. Unloaded in the underground garage and I didn't realise just how cold Matt had got. He was shaking with cold. I heated him up some warming pads and covered him with a blanket and eventually he warmed up. I was cold, but not that bad. I therefore decided we would not venture out again until this cold passed. Supposedly after Friday. I must admit, right now, I am shivering as I am typing. We have had the stove on all evening and it still didn't get more than 69°F. The wind chill has been giving temps of -31°C  that is about -23.8°F.

If you are dieting, here is something to stop you eating chocolate According to ABC News, the average chocolate bar contains eight insect parts. Anything less than 60 insect pieces per 100 grams of chocolate (two chocolate bars' worth) is deemed safe for consumption by the Food and Drug Administration. If you are wondering why I looked this up, I found live bugs crawling around my Hershey's Kisses which had been there since before I went into hospital in October. I am not too sure I am going to be eating chocolate any more although I guess it hasn't killed  me in 80 years. Mind you I threw out the old Hershey's and replaced with new before I read this. Funny, I didn't have any chocolate all evening. And here I have posted a chocolate recipe.

Feeling decadent? If you can resist these, you are "a better man than I am Gunga Din."

Triple Chocolate Coffee Brownies

Ever wonder how to get all your vices in one bite? We’ve got the answer, these fudgy and fantastic

Triple Chocolate Coffee Brownies. Yes, it’s mocha madness with these moist brownies chock full of brewed coffee, the trinity of chocolate (milk, semi-sweet and white chocolate) and chunks of chopped Oreo cookies. If that doesn’t sell you on these blissful brownies, consider that they’re topped with a creamy coffee frosting!

1 ½ cups butter, melted
1 ½ cups sugar
1 ½ cups brown sugar
4 eggs
¼ cup coffee, cooled
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 ½ cups flour
1 cup cocoa powder, sifted
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp kosher salt
1 cup chopped Oreo cookies
1 cup chopped milk chocolate
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cup white chocolate chips
Coffee Frosting
¼ cup butter, softened
2 cups icing sugar
2 Tbs strong brewed coffee, cooled
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. For the brownies, preheat oven to 325ºF. Coat a 13×9-inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Line the pan with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, whisk melted butter, sugar and brown sugar until combined. Add eggs, coffee and vanilla extract and continue to whisk until smooth. Add flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, Oreo cookies, milk chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate and white chocolate, stirring just until flour has disappeared. Spread into prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely. Once cool, refrigerate for 2 hours before frosting.

3. For the coffee frosting, using an electric mixer, cream butter and icing sugar on low to combine. Add coffee and vanilla extract and continue to mix on medium speed until reaches a smooth and desired spreading consistency.

4. Spread frosting on cooled brownies.

Servings: 25

Source: Zoomer Magazine


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