Recipes

[Carol1229]

There's nothing like homemade fudgy chocolate brownies......hard to beat them...but brownies don't ALWAYS have to be chocolate.

Our daughter and son in law hosted brunch on Easter Sunday, and along with food to go with what she was making for the main meal, she asked for some easy pick up desserts. I had oranges in the refrigerator that I really wanted to use in something...then I remembered this recipe.

I had seen Paula Deen make these on "Paula's Home Cooking" quite a few years ago. She told the story of a customer at The Lady & Sons' restaurant coming in and sharing the recipe with Paula. The woman had entered it in the Pillsbury Bake-Off contest. The brownies were so pretty and looked so much like spring....I knew I had to try them. I made them per the original recipe back when I first tried them-they were good but too sweet for our taste.

I located the cookbook with the recipe and notes and set about making them for Sunday. They go together quickly and what I really like is they use basic ingredients I always have in the cupboard. The only thing I have to worry about having is oranges in the refrigerator.

I always line the pan with foil when making brownies-that way I can lift the cooked bars out of the pan and cut them on a flat surface. It makes cutting those squares a lot easier.


I stuck pretty close to the original recipe-I just cut down the sugar amount and since I wanted plenty of orange flavor in the brownies, I added freshly grated orange zest from 2 large oranges, making sure to set aside 1 tsp. of the zest to add to the glaze. It had been a while since I'd made these and was a little nervous about there being no baking soda or baking powder in the recipe, but...a lot of brownie recipes I have in my files don't use them either. Onward and upward.......

I love the idea of poking holes in the cooked brownies right out of the oven and spreading the glaze over top-it allows a second layer of orange flavor to soak in.

These brownies have a "blondie"-like texture and wonderful orange flavor. I'm much happier with the lower amount of sugar-I may even go a little lower next time. I also think I'll substitute fresh orange juice for the extract to see how that works.

They looked so pretty on the 2 tier plate holder along with lemon bars. The plates said sunshine-even though Robin still has a good amount of snow on the ground.

If you're looking for a little different brownie recipe and you love orange, give these a try. We really enjoy them.

Carol


ORANGE BROWNIES
(Source: adapted from The Lady and Sons Just Desserts cookbook-original recipe from Robin Wilson, Altamonte Springs, Florida, one of 100 finalists in the 39th Pillsbury Bake-off contest-recipe HERE)

1 c. butter, softened
1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
4 large eggs
2 tsp. pure orange extract
Grated zest of 1 large orange, reserving 1 tsp. for the glaze
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt

GLAZE:
1 c. confectioners’ sugar
2 Tbsp. orange juice
1 tsp. grated orange zest

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 13x9x2-inch baking pan with foil, extending the foil over the edges, and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set pan aside.

For the brownies, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the orange extract and zest.

In another bowl, whisk together the flour and salt; add to the creamed mixture and beat until combined.

Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Bake @ 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until light golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove from oven and immediately pierce the entire top of the brownies with a fork. A meat fork works great for this.

For the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar, orange juice and the 1 tsp. reserved orange zest in a small bowl, stirring until smooth. Pour the glaze evenly over the warm brownies. Cool completely before cutting.

Using the excess foil, lift the brownies from the pan to a cutting board; peel the foil away from the sides of the bars. Cut into squares. Makes 24.