Excess


Omg I am seriously in need of help. Yesterday, finally! I was the first to watch ze's show and transcribe it to wiki. I'm simultaneously tickled pink and concerned by my dorkiness. (Tip: if you're going to follow this link and you're not familiar with my new friend ze, I highly suggest starting from the beginning; we've become quite a little clique in a short time, complete with many inside jokes. I want you to be in on all of them!).

I referred to this list to detemine that I am in fact a dork:
geek: a person with a strong passion for, knowledge of, and interest in the technical/mechanical (computers, electronics, machinery)
nerd: a person with a strong passion for, knowledge of, and interest in academics (law, biology, math)
dork: a person with a strong passion for, knowledge of, and interest in that which is less "socially acceptable" (ze, LARPs, RPGs, MMORPGs, card games, SCA)
freak: anyone who likes sports, especially that of the college variety, someone who enjoys wearing a jaunty hat, or people who have more than two types of pet (fish included)
dweeb: any combination of two or more of the above terms

Where do duckies fall on that list? (See? Inside joke)

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In an effort to comply with some of the Holidailies prompts, I'm posting my new favorite yummy recipe.

I've had lots of experience with flourless cakes; in fact, I believe I prefer them to the towering, four- and six-layer creations you see in bakery display cases. Once a year I make a hulking carrot cake with cream cheese icing for The Boy and I'm always amazed at how impressive it looks with that first piece cut out; I must remember to take a picture next time.

A flourless cake (that's a misnomer, by the way; many actually include at least a few tablespoons of flour) relies on eggs and other squishy ingredients to give it structure, and requires gentle cooking to allow the center to set before the outside becomes dry and inedible. They usually puff up like souffles then fall into a splintery, cratered but delectable and fudgy mess that cries out for an icing or whipped cream spackle.

This brownie recipe treads the line between fudge and flourless cake in just the most pleasing way. It's very rich, so make sure you cut it into small pieces, not that that'll stop you from scarfing them five and six at a time.

Triple Chocolate Brownies

12 oz. bittersweet chocolate
3/4 pound unsalted butter

Melt in a double boiler.

Off the heat, whisk in 6 room temperature eggs one at a time. At this point, you're going to see what appears to be splitting, but just keep whisking like mad and remember it's good for your triceps!

Add:
1 Tbsp real vanilla
1 tsp salt
1 tsp espresso powder or instant coffee granules
1 3/4 c sugar
1 1/2 c AP flour
1/2 c semisweet chocolate chips (I use the President's Choice Decadent brand, but I believe that's only available in Canada)
1/2 c white chocolate chips or coarsely chopped good white chocolate

Pour into a parchment-lined pan and bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes. The sides should look set but the middle should still have that sexy wobble we all love; the residual heat will set the center as it cools.

This has been a calorie-laden Holidailies entry.

Posted at 9:50 a.m.