Working on my homework assignment for the upcoming Illustrators' Intensive Day at the 2007 SCBWI NY Winter Conference. It is driving me crazy. I've been color copying a key section of my illustration to practice doing the finishing touches. I think I've found the answer I'm looking for...but in the meantime, to get a little distance from the problem, I'm introducing one of the new Chompo Blog features: The Monthly Recipe.
These brownies are part cat and part donkey inspired.
If I won the lottery I'd start my own bundt cake cafe called the Bebop Bakery, named after my bread-loving butterball of a cat. There's a whole picture book story behind how I think a cat could help launch a bakery and maybe you'll see those sketches soon. For now, besides bundt cakes, the Bebop Bakery in my mind ALSO makes scrumptious brownies.
The optional sesame seed sprinkling might sound strange, but I promise it is an exciting and delicious addition to already good brownies. The first time I had sesame and chocolate was in France. Aaron and I were staying in Sisteron, at a remote farm complete with chickens, cats, and a baby donkey named Kirikou. Kirikou ran free around the farmyard and frozen lavender fields. He fell in love with Aaron's bottom. Kirikou stalked Aaron from behind and then would gently try to nip at his coat tail or belt or camera bag. If we turned around to catch Kirikou mid-nibble he'd scamper off and hide behind a tree. It is really hard for a donkey to hide behind a tree. Kirikou also liked to sneak up on the cats. But cats have claws and Aaron is more handsome and alluring than any French country cat. So Aaron followed the cats and chickens taking pictures, Kirikou followed Aaron and I followed Kirikou. That darn donkey just wouldn't pay attention to me the way he would to Aaron.
Kirikou's owner made her farm guests breakfast--among other things--tiny chocolate muffins sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds.
Bebop Brownies
Preheat your oven to 350°
Ingredients:
1 stick of butter
9 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder (I like Hershey's Dark Cocoa)
3 tablespoons of vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2/3 cup flour
Optional: sprinkling of sesame seeds or coconut or both (Sesame seeds have calcium in them so really, this is like eating a vitamin, not a brownie.)
In a microwave safe bowl melt the butter for about a minute on high.
Whisk the cocoa followed by the vegetable oil into the butter. Set aside to cool.
While the choco-butter mixture is cooling prep your brownie pan by making a 'brownie seat.' Take two big pieces of foil set perpendicularly and line an 8 or 9 inch square pan or 8 or 9 inch round cake pan with the foil, smoothing out the foil out from the pan bottom, up the sides and letting the extra foil hang over the sides like big handles. This is harder to do in a round pan, but if that's all you've got it is FINE. Spray with Pam and set aside.
In a big bowl whisk together the sugar, eggs, vanilla, baking powder, salt and spices until well blended. Whisk in the slightly cooled choco-butter mixture until incorporated. Whisk in the flour until just mixed. Use your spatula to plop the brownie goo into your prepared brownie seat.
If you are intrigued you can sprinkle some sesame seeds on top, or unsweetened coconut, or leave plain, or do as I did and do quadrants of everything.
Put this on the middle to upper middle rack of your oven and bake for about 25 minutes. A stick inserted near the center should come out almost clean.
Let cool for a couple of hours if you can wait that long. When using the dark cocoa you MUST have some cold milk or ruby port handy to pair with these super-delicious chocolate treats!
In all the hurry to prepare for New York this week I almost forgot the due date for the Don Freeman Memorial grant. This is just one of the great grants that SCBWI provides to its members. I know some states have lots of grants for artists, but Washington's artist grant process is a little confusing and daunting. The children's book specific grants available through SCBWI are totallly cool. You can only apply for one per calendar year. There are lots left for THIS calendar year, so go check them out!
Patty Ho is a girl after my own heart. I wish I'd known her and her buildering roommate in MY high school career. As a proud member of the Knowledge Bowl, Science Olympiad, and Youth in Government I had my fair share of nerd camps/field trips. None of them measure up to the extra-curricular activities of Patty and friends at the Stanford Math Camp (except for maybe my high school robot team's trip to Boston where I got to spend most of it necking in a van on the MIT campus. But using the word 'necking' negates whatever hipness I'd hoped to garner...as does the fact I was on a robot building team.)
