Changing Seasons

This is the big week...the week I graduate!!!! On Thursday, we have our long coat ceremony, where we transition from our short white coats (a clear sign of a medical STUDENT) to our long coats, which indicate DOCTOR! I bought a new dress for it today and am so excited. Then, on Friday, I will officially graduate! Lots of things to celebrate...and then lots of changes. I'll be super busy with residency, trying to become a proficient and good pediatrician. I know I'll need a break from the kiddos and will make time to do things with friends, but it will become even tougher than it is now. I've been trying to get a certain group of friends together since at least New Years. Well, we finally got together the other day. They all took a break from studying for USMLE Step exams to come enjoy some food and fellowship. We had chicken breast supreme, zucchini, rice, and rolls. I knew they wouldn't require a dessert but I wanted to make a little something. So, I found this recipe on Anna's site. These brownies looked wonderful but wanted to make them bite sized; so, instead of baking in a pan, I baked in my mini-muffin tin. They turned out great...not overly chocolaty but moist and with that delicious crumbly crust on the outside. I provided Starbuck's Carmel Macchiato ice cream to go with it (only one person took me up on that offer). It was the perfect mini-dessert to end the evening with friends.

Julia’s Best-Ever Brownies adapted

1 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour (5 oz/145 grams) — measure after sifting
1 teaspoon salt
8 ounces (228 grams) unsalted butter
6 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 cups (380 grams) sugar (divided use)
1 teaspoon (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Stir the sifted flour and salt together in a small bowl; set aside.

Melt the butter in a saucepan set over medium-low heat (or in the microwave like I did). When melted, reduce heat to low and add chopped chocolate, stirring often until it melts. Add 1 cup of the sugar to the mixture and stir for about half a minute. Remove pan from heat and pour into a mixing bowl. Stir in the vanilla.

Whisk the remaining 1 cup sugar and the eggs in a second bowl – Whisk only until combined – don’t over-beat (I hand wisked!). Gradually pour half of the sugar/egg mixture into the bowl with the chocolate mixture, stirring gently so that eggs don’t set from the heat of the chocolate mixture.

Using a hand-held mixer (or your own arm power...this is what I did!), beat the remaining sugar/egg mixture on high speed until it becomes pale and thick (it should double in volume).

Carefully fold the whipped eggs into the chocolate mixture. When the eggs are almost completely incorporated, gently fold in the dry ingredients.

Using a small cookie scooper, scoop the batter into a pre-greased mini-muffin pan. Bake for 16-20 minutes. (mine took a bit longer than this.) Remove and let cool slightly before removing from pan (I tried too early as I was in a hurry and some of them fell apart). The cooking temp and times are courtesy of Peabody. I got 48 mini-brownies!