What's a patio picnic without brownies?

I am so going to miss the cheery summer table settings.

Today was lovely but the temperature has dipped below 50 degrees every night for the last week. Nearly time to try out the fire pit we bought at Cabela's on sale at the tail end of last year. Wait until you see it, a very cute woodland motif - little moose and bear figure cut outs all around and a firescreen top to keep the sparks from flying.

Meanwhile, we're up to our eyeballs in apples. Good thing my favorite brownie recipe has applesauce in it. If anybody has other great apple or applesauce recipes, please, send them my way!

PATIO PERFECT BROWNIES

3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup sweet unsalted butter, room temperature
1 egg
1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup applesauce
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon white sugar
1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream sugar and butter. Add egg. Sift cocoa, salt, baking soda, chili powder, cinnamon and flour ingredients and add to sugar mixture, alternately with applesauce. Generously apply baking olive oil spray to the bottom only of 8 X 8 inch square pan. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. In a small bowl, combine white sugar, chocolate chips and chopped nuts. Sprinkle over batter. For cakey brownies use one egg white in addition to the one whole egg. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Makes nine 2 1/2 inch brownies.

Comments

  1. Best Wishes, MarieSeptember 8, 2009 at 12:12 AM

    "For cakey brownies use one egg white in addition to the one whole egg." Thanks for this tip. It confuses me a little. I know in some Mexican cookie recipes, we only use egg whites in order to purposefully create a dry cracked looking cookie. "merengie." Seems like the yolk would make it cakie. I am a mid level beginner, so I am trying to understand the theory.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AdamSeptember 8, 2009 at 7:14 AM

    Hello, Debra!

    Marie (http://bestwishesmarie.blogspot.com) recommended me your blog and it's great indeed! I loved the recipes. I hope you don't mind another reader!

    Adam (mrelife.blogspot.com)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Debby KozSeptember 8, 2009 at 10:54 AM

    Adding an egg white to the whole egg in this recipe lightens the thicker fudgy consistency of the recipe. It also keeps the cholesterol count down. I've made this recipe with only egg whites, it becomes more spongy and still very good, not unlike Angel Cake which is all egg whites and not dry at all when baked properly.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Best Wishes, MarieSeptember 8, 2009 at 1:34 PM

    i will try it out. and also think i will do a little reading on eggs.

    ReplyDelete

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