I have no idea where I got this recipe from, but I've been making one version or another of it during the holidays since before I was legally allowed to purchase the ingredients. It's gorgeous and festive, and everybody loves it.
The original plan this weekend was to throw a party, but it turned into a comfort-and-Christmas-tree extravaganza instead.
I've mentioned before that one of my favorite ways to use Mason jars is to whip up recipes-in-a-jar to give as gifts, and reader Adeline just sent me a link to a gorgeous recipe for Brownies-In-A-Jar. (The article also suggests jarring pickles to give as a gift...and I have the perfect pickle recipe for you right here!)
BROWNIES-IN-A-JAR
Ingredients:
1 quart sized jar
2⁄3 tsp salt
1 1⁄8 cup flour, divided
1⁄3 cup cocoa powder
2⁄3 cup brown sugar
2⁄3 cup white sugar
1⁄2 cup chocolate chips
1⁄2 cup white chocolate chips
1⁄2 cup walnuts or pecans
An awesome wedding tip from Kristen: My aunt gets things off the registry, but makes it special through the packaging. She'll pack it in a beautiful basket and use things like pretty dish towels, etc...
Wow, are these ever good: they're just the slightest bit fudgy in the middle, and the contrast between the chocolate (I used dark chocolate chips instead of the semi-sweet chips recommended in the recipe) and the sea salt is totally unexpected, and totally to-die-for.
While in Canada, I decided to put together three little Canadian-themed gift packages for you, my wonderful, wonderful readers.
My god, is this pasta - a variation on a recipe called "Crack Pasta" submitted by reader Luisa - ever good. I made it for Kendrick and myself last night, and at 11PM I was still sort of pacing back and forth between couch and refrigerator, eating bits and pieces out of our Tupperware with my fingers.
Just combine all ingredients in an ice-filled glass (or mason jar) and stir!
This light, fresh salad, which I based on a recipe sent to me by reader Kate, should most definitely be made in enormous batches and eaten straight from the refrigerator on hot summer nights. It also takes approximately five minutes to make, so we're talking minimal kitchen time - and zero stove time - making it perfect for a steamy late-July dinner.
I approached yesterday's chocolate zucchini cake with my standard ill-advised mindset (meh, I don't have a bundt pan, I'll just use two square pans and adjust the baking time; meh, I only have 1 1/2 cups of regular sugar, let's just top it off with some superfine)...but, miracle of miracles, it turned out wonderfully.
