As I was cooking tonight the song My Favorite Things from the Sound of Music popped into my head. In case you don't remember it here is a link to jog your memory: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikpj24WMOLw&playnext=1&list=PLEC5068D619C75C3C&feature=results_video

Sorry I took a bite out of the brownies before I took this pic...they are good

I am sure it had to do with the fact that I was making brownies and I kept thinking to myself,"hmm brownies are a few of my favorite things." However, since the brownies had to go into a parchment lined pan I also started thinking,"hmm parchment paper is a few of my not so favorite things."

While I was cooking though I started to think of what my favorite things are and so I decided to share a few of my well favorite things...some cooking related...and well some random because you know I love randomness.

1. I love running in the rain. There is nothing better than the feel of rain on your face as you run.
2. I love homemade pizza...especially when it is made with love
3. I love the movie Life is Beautiful...it is just an amazing reminder of how powerful the human spirit is and how a positive attitude can truly change any situation...if you haven't seen it please do.
4. I love dark chocolate and red wine...together
5. I love the smell of garlic and olive oil especially if its going into homemade marinara sauce...and even better when its cold outside and the windows get all steamed up from the sauce being simmered on low all day...heaven
6. I love reading cookbooks like novels before I go to bed...if I remembered my dreams I am sure I would be dreaming about food
7. I love Taco Bell but it makes me ill within seconds
8. I love my amazing girlfriends who I share laughter, good food, wine and trash tv with
9. I love fried turkey...never thought I would say those words
10. I love leftover pumpkin pie for breakfast

Tonight I made a recipe called Perfect Brownies...now if you call yourself "perfect brownies" you have some pretty big shoes to fill, right? And let me just say this claim is justified. These are pretty much the perfect brownie...they are rich, chocolatey, gooey and moist.

What? You don't drink wine while you bake?

This brownie  recipe  calls for high quality chocolate in the form of  cocoa powder and chocolate chips. So I used Scharfenberger cocoa powder and Hersheys semi-sweet chocolate chips...no generics tonight for these perfect brownies. I do have to say these brownies are not only perfect they are also by far the easiest brownies I have ever made.



I did also learn something from this recipe. It says that you only want to mix the ingredients until they are incorporated because if you beat it gluten will be produced from the flour. Gluten is a protein that makes bread chewy and you don't want to make your brownies chewy....interesting little fact, ay.

Ok so I don't know the source of this brownie recipe. All I know is that a friend emailed it to me last year and I am just now getting around to trying it. I love the fact that there are only 6 ingredients and usually these are things that I have laying around the house...ok sure I had to call my neighbor for eggs, but hell I usually have eggs.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
3 eggs
3/4 cup butter, melted *** I love recipes where I don't have to soften butter because I always forget to take it out of the fridge and I end up spending hours waiting for butter to soften when really I just want to cook right now ***
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Combine the sugar, flour, cocoa, eggs and melted butter and mix. Mix until the wet ingredients are incorporated and stop. Stir in the chocolate chips. Line a 9x13 baking dish with parchment paper. Pour the batter into the pan and spread it out. Bake at 325 degrees for 20-30 minutes. It's done when a toothpick inserted in the tallest part comes out clean. Be careful of sticking the toothpick into a chocolate chip.

These brownies are heaven with either a great glass of wine or ice cold milk...either way they are truly a slice of heaven. Cheers my friends!!