A chocolate toast

Happy Wednesday to all.  Hope the sunshine is warming you as much as it's heating up my living room!  (How much do I love not having to use our thermostat!?  Hmm, maybe not as much as our landlord...)  Anyhow, a toast!  A toast to all mothers, children, fathers, friends and foes!  (What?  I'm feeling magnanimous today!)  

May you always have work for your hands to do.
May your pockets hold always a coin or two.
May the sun shine bright on your windowpane.
May the rainbow be certain to follow each rain.
May the hand of a friend always be near you.
And may God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.

And may you always have a little chocolate somewhere for when life gets a little rough.  So then, I give you a little pick-me-up for rough times.  And who doesn't love a little chocolate indulgence every now and then?  (Non chocolate fans please note, that was a rhetorical question.)  I love cutting these brownies into relatively bite-sized pieces.  Makes me feel less guilty for having 3 or 4... or 10.  *sigh*  I am working on the sweet tooth thing.  Really.  It's just that sweets like to work on me too...

In other non-food news, I have some excellent tidings!  I have started and almost finished a crocheting project!  I know, right?  Nothing short of miraculous.  It's a hat, but not just any hat.  A sweet little baby hat with ears and earflaps and all-round cuteness.  I don't know why I didn't just start with hats.  They're way faster, and therefore motivating!  I sat down and the bulk of the hat was finished in an hour or so.  People, I am not a crochet whiz.  I am your typical beginner who is forced to google things like "slip stitch" and so on for demonstrations.  

I won't post pictures until the weekend, since it is a gift for a the baptism of a friend's baby.  :o)  I love making gifts.  So happy I found this pattern in time!  :o)  Be sure this project will be enumerated upon very soon...

In the meantime, happy chocolate dreams!

CHOCOLATE FUDGE BROWNIES

1/2 cup butter

6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 tsp vanilla

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 1/4 cups flour

Fudge topping:

1 cup powdered sugar

2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1 Tbsp butter, softened

2 Tbsp hot water

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly grease an 8" square pan.  (I don't have, so I used 2 loaf pans and adjusted the cooking time accordingly.)  Line with parchment or wax paper.  Melt butter and chocolate over low heat in a double boiler until smooth.  Let mixture cool slightly.  Add sugar.  Mix in vanilla and eggs.  Fold in flour with spatula until uniform.  Pour into pan(s) and bake for 25-30 minutes until set.  (If using loaf pans, bake for about 15-18 mins.)  Remove from oven and let cool before removing from pan.  

Sift together sugar and cocoa powder.  Place butter in a well in the centre.  Add hot water to well and stir mixture until it reaches spreading consistency.  Ice brownie with fudge and let harden for 10-20 minutes.