Here's a dilemma for you: You're minding your own business, happily puttering away in the kitchen, experimenting with a couple of new recipes for you and your husband to try for dinner. You look your absolute WORST -- and I'm talking unsuitably dressed to take out the trash, and your hair looks like a fright wig -- when a visitor shows up at your back door and stays for dinner. Yikes! While the thought of this is actually scarier than the way I looked, it happened last week, and had me a gnat's wing away from a stroke. Sure, I can always add another potato and bag of frozen vegetables to the pot, but what about dessert?
Thank goodness I keep Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Brownie Mix (the best of the boxed mixes in my opinion) just for situations like this. I followed the package directions, but poured it into a 9" round pan that I'd planned to invert onto a plate so the flat side would be up. While this was baking I whipped up some orange confectioners' sugar icing with the idea that I'd pipe it on in concentric circles, drag a toothpick through it, and have a wonderful spider web brownie to serve. Well, it didn't exactly work out that way. The icing was too thick, and much to my dismay did not move when I dragged my trusty, never-failed-me-before toothpick through. Okay. Do. Not. Panic. I dumped the remainder of the orange icing on top, spread it to the edges with an offset spatula, stuck the whole thing in the fridge to set and melted some 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate chips (also Ghirardelli) in a small mixing bowl sitting a bit cockeyed on a small saucepan over simmering water. Another trusty icing bottle to the rescue, I filled it with the melted chocolate, made more concentric circles (I was getting dizzy), held my breath and grabbed another toothpick. This time it worked and I was very pleased with the results. Not bad for a delicious, seasonal, chocolate-y dessert in a pinch.
Thank goodness I keep Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Brownie Mix (the best of the boxed mixes in my opinion) just for situations like this. I followed the package directions, but poured it into a 9" round pan that I'd planned to invert onto a plate so the flat side would be up. While this was baking I whipped up some orange confectioners' sugar icing with the idea that I'd pipe it on in concentric circles, drag a toothpick through it, and have a wonderful spider web brownie to serve. Well, it didn't exactly work out that way. The icing was too thick, and much to my dismay did not move when I dragged my trusty, never-failed-me-before toothpick through. Okay. Do. Not. Panic. I dumped the remainder of the orange icing on top, spread it to the edges with an offset spatula, stuck the whole thing in the fridge to set and melted some 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate chips (also Ghirardelli) in a small mixing bowl sitting a bit cockeyed on a small saucepan over simmering water. Another trusty icing bottle to the rescue, I filled it with the melted chocolate, made more concentric circles (I was getting dizzy), held my breath and grabbed another toothpick. This time it worked and I was very pleased with the results. Not bad for a delicious, seasonal, chocolate-y dessert in a pinch.
Now to replace that box of brownie mix to divert future disasters. What are your pantry "must haves"?
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Sunday's Best
Oh I love this! Fast and easy for unexpected guests.
ReplyDeleteI'm with Pam on this one Patti. What a delicious looking save. I'm sure your guests were thrilled!!!
ReplyDelete"a gnat's wing away" .... lol :) nice post!
ReplyDeleteWhat a creative and quick dessert. It's gorgeous and I love the way of your quick thinking and how you decorated it. :) Yeah, I have many of those "unsuitably dressed to take out the trash moment"! LOL
ReplyDeleteLove this easy-in-a-pinch dessert!
ReplyDeleteYou are too funny~~"unsuitably dressed to take out the trash" & "a gnat's wing away from a stroke" :) Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Brownie Mix IS the best by far!! Your photos are beautiful~ I love the "webby" table top your brownies are on!
ReplyDeleteThose are fantastic! I love when brownies are treated like cake, they deserve that amount of respect!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful and so timely for this season of year. Scarey too! :-)
ReplyDeletethis looks so pretty and festive! love your blog :)
ReplyDeleteRight around this time of year I begin stocking nuts, crackers, and cheeses for impromtu holiday visitors. I will check out the Ghiridelli box ASAP.
ReplyDeleteYour brownie is beautiful! I'm sure everyone loved it-Happy Halloween:@)
ReplyDeleteYum! That turned out awesome! I do keep around some Duncan Hines brownie mixes for quick satisfying desserts! I like your idea and it turned out really great! Your surprise guest should have been quite pleased!!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite brownie mix, too, but not good for my waistline!!!! This looks delicious. Happy Seasonal Sunday!
ReplyDeleteOk, so I am not a baker, but I know I would never have come up with this in a spur of moment. I rarely bake, but if I do I'll try the brownie mix. Thanks so much for sharing at Sunday's Best. In appreciation,I'm a new follower.
ReplyDelete