I don’t know about you, but I don’t like to wait until February 14 to enjoy my fill of chocolate.  I consider it to be an essential food group in and of itself, although the recommended daily allowance varies with each individual.  

This brownie recipe is a favorite at the inn all year long.  They are easy to make and always a crowd-pleaser.  It comes from a terrific cook book by Nick Malgieri called How to Bake.   (If you like to bake, it is a must have). According to Malgieri, it was found when a friend bought a collection of old recipe cards at a yard sale on Cape Cod.  “From the information on the backs of the cards and other scraps of paper included with the cards,” he says, “the recipes would seem to have originally been collected in Baltimore, Maryland, hence the name.”  I think it’s a hoot that they’re called Maryland Brownies.  I’m just glad they don’t call for Old Bay Seasoning!!!

Have a lovely Valentine’s Day weekend!

Rita

“Maryland Brownies”

from Nick Malgieri’s How to Bake

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

1 stick sweet, unsalted butter

2 large eggs

1 cup sugar

½ cup all purpose flour

1 cup nuts of your choosing, chopped (optional)

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Line an 8 inch square baking pan with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray. 

Melt butter and chocolate together in a small, heat proof bowl set over barely simmering water.  Remove from water and set aside to cool.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and the sugar until just combined.  Using a spatula, gently fold in the chocolate-butter mixture, then the flour and lastly the nuts if using. Take care not to over-mix.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake until they are slightly puffed and just set, roughly 30 minutes.

Wait until they are completely cooled before unmolding and cutting into squares.

Enjoy!

Thought you might enjoy this photo of a Barred Owl that was sitting in the great big maple tree out in front of the inn.   I was walking my dogs the other day, around 4:30 pm, and there it was, just staring at me…I couldn’t believe it!  What was this owl doing out during the day??  I quickly put the dogs back in the house and came back with my camera; yup, still there.  I got about 20 shots of  it before it got annoyed and flew away.

Someone told me that owls hunt at night because they get harrassed by all the other birds out during the day and not because they are truly nocturnal.  I’m not sure, but it was really a treat to see it up close like that.

Hope you enjoy it!

Rita

We have definitely had our share of winter weather these past weeks: early January gave us record cold temperatures for this area and of course we just recently had a few snow storms.  The white blanket always looks pretty on the boxwood and pine boughs; especially from INSIDE next to a cozy fire!!

There has been a lot of talk on this blog about our new-ish cottages (Mulberry will be 1 year old in March!);  please indulge us again so we can share this story:

When checking folks into either the Mulberry Cottage or Olivia’s Meadow,  it’s always fun to see their reactions to the Japanese-style soaking tub on the screened in porch.  Granted, the ideal situation would include whatever you consider to be perfect weather while enjoying a soak, and for most people that would NOT be temps in the 30’s- 40’s, right?  There is usually some good-natured joking about how quickly one can get from the tub back into the cottage…and most people consider it a 3 season amenity.

Well, I stand corrected!!  Diane and Rich, who visited us in mid January, were the first folks to have a soak in the afternoon and live to tell about it. (The first to share it with me, anyway!)  They loved it and said that that it was soooo comfortable; your head stays warm from all the steam rising from the nice, hot water.  In fact, Rich was so warm that he had to cool off by lying in the hammock that’s in the private yard!! Remember, it was about 40 degrees.

I was so impressed that I bragged about them to other guests, and wouldn’t you know it, now EVERYONE is doing it!!!

Well, maybe not everyone, but a lot of people!  We have plans to install a towel warmer outside near the tub so that folks can keep their robes warm while they are soaking. Oooh, how decadent!

Here’s hoping that whatever the weather, we see you soon!