Dessert Redemption

After The Horror, I stayed away from the oven for a few days. I didn't think it needed more punishment. While in the supermarket, I developed an intense craving for cinnamon raisin bread. So, tonight, I tried this recipe and it was fantastic. What I didn't count on was that it was a triple recipe. Who among us owns THREE loaf pans? Certainly not me. The only reason why I own one at all is for a terrine recipe we made last Passover.

But, as the above picture shows, this recipe makes a ton of batter. It rose to the size of a basketball, and rolled out huge too.


So, I cut the batter into thirds. One third went to make a loaf. Here it is, before baking:


And of course, what does one do with extra swirled bread dough? Rolls. I managed to wait a full 20 seconds after taking them out of the oven before I dove in and took one down like a lion takes down an antelope on the Discovery Channel. Here they are, before baking:


And here they are baked. (Does anyone else hear the singing of angels?)

The Horror, The Horror

This is dessert gone bad. Really bad. Do not adjust your monitors: This is a chocolate dessert so disgusting that it turned lava black.

Jeremy is alarmed.

It's based on a recipe my mother-in-law gave me. It's called "Al Hughes' Chocolate Thing" which is a title that makes me blush a little, but nonetheless... You make a batter and then pour liquids over it, don't mix, and bake. It comes out this amorphous blob of liquid and solid chocolate. Sounds great, right? Even better with a dollop of raspbeerry jam added into the viscous chocolately mix.

The first time we made it, it turned out nicely. Not super-flavorful, but interesting textures and not too much butter. So what the hell happened the second time? This recipe's mood swings are giving me whiplash.

Al Hughes' Chocolate Thing
In a bowl, mix:
2 tbsp melted butter
1/c milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
2 tbsp baking powder
3/4 c sugar
2 tbsp cocoa powder

Put into a greased 8x8 pan. In another bowl, mix:
3/4 c brown sugar
4 tbsp cocoa powder
1 3/4 cup hot water

Pour over the batter in the pan. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Ending 1: Enjoy chocolate-filled house smells. Let cool (optional) and devour. Crave more.

Ending 2: Wait for house to smell really good and then wonder why it smells like burning tires. Taste, recoil.