jenks black buffet night started with coach thomas. several years ago, he suggested that we, and by "we", i mean "i", do a little buffet on thursday nights after the 3rd- sometimes 4th- football practice of the week. up until that time, i'd occasionally bake up a big batch of banana muffins for after practice or pick up a couple of boxes of little debbie's cosmic brownies, which set me back, say $3 or so, but nothing prepared me for what this would become.
$40. f o r t y d o l l a r s. that was my thursday night buffet night budget. to feed up to 52 whole people. that was the record anyway. once i told the marketing gal at a local restaurant that i fed as many as 52 people for $40 & she said, "you have to be kidding- you can't feed 52 people bologna sandwiches for $40." wanna bet? & don't get me started on bologna. i love a challenge. especially if it relates to food. heck, i love anything that relates to food.
now mind you, buffet nights were by no means haute cuisine, but they got the job done. things like chili, potato soup on cold nights, mostacolli (thank you, marguerite:), Grandma Opal's chicken tetrazzini & build-your-own taco bar provided the thrifty, yet satisfying post-practice buffet night staples that united a team & brought their families a little closer, though after 6 years together, we pretty much knew all of each others secrets anyway.
i LOVED planning for buffet nights- all week long, i would be on the prowl for a great meat special or a new way to glorify a cake mix (you can't beat that $.88 investment with a stick) or a way to stretch a dollar... or maybe a chicken. it was like a game to me & i always won (i'm very competitive when it comes to desserts). approval. smiles. hugs. happy tummies. best- game- ever.
now that we've moved on to school football & there are 3 teams & 70 players & they're much bigger in size & appetite & there's no budget for thursday night buffets- in fact, there are no thursday night practices at all- i will have to get a new game plan- but don't think i'm not working on it, coach barnes. i already have chick-fil-a on the calendar for the team's road trip food-or WILL when we get a calendar...& i will find a way to weave in a few lemon cakes every now & then for old time's sake. i just have to. it's a jenks black all-time favorite. this is for patty-who likes them most of all.
*lemondrop cake*
1 box lemon cake mix (any brand-pudding in the mix is best)
prepared according to pkg. directions...only i use orange juice instead of water & add about 1/2 tsp. of McNess lemon oil extract (available at williams sonoma & well worth the $10 for a 4 oz. bottle since it provides wonderful zesty lemon flavor & lasts for at least 2 football seasons making a lemon cake every week)... bake the cake in a well cooking- sprayed bundt pan or a 9x13 or my personal favorite, a 15x10 1/2 sheet pan, since i have one with a cover. ice with about 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar mixed with fresh or that minute- maid lemon juice that comes frozen- it's wonderful- & a few more drops of lemon oil extract to make a pourable, thin glaze- pour it on the hot cake. never a crumb left- they fight over the crumbs. * you can crush lemon drops on the top for sparkling crunchies*
-the snackmom
who would like to take this opportunity to thank patty's mom, lynn, my sangria buddy, for helping me every thursday night when this whole thing got too big for me to cook up & pack up & set up- as well as the MANY football moms (mitzi, charm- you know who you are:) & dads (jeff, lynn & ken come to mind:) & siblings(chase & the duncans-you're the best!), who bolted out to the "snackmom" truck to unload tables & the tins & boxes & trays & baskets of food & paraphenalia & to all those players & parents & my own kids who stayed around in the dark after the lights went out to throw stuff away & help me take down tables & re-load the car...it was so fun! & thanks coach thomas- best idea ever!
May 20, 2011
"the great bologna disaster"
it started out well. my 39th birthday.could have been my 40th- none of us can remember- probably, we tried to block it out. my birthday is july 1st, which has always been like a long, continuous party running on into the 4th of july. i've always loved that.
this particular year i had the brilliant idea idea of a lake birthday. i L O V E the lake. we grew up spending wonderful weekends on lake eufaula on our houseboat of many names...."first mate", 'forty-feet-of-fun", "tres niñas"...say when.....depending on who you asked. i could write a blog about that boat.
this fine saturday, we'd rented a huge pontoon boat for the day & ventured out with us, my sister, joy, her husband & some of their kids as well as my beloved in-laws & 47 life preservers. now, joy & i love the lake- the suntan (burn), the swimming, splashing, that good kind of tired & hungry, & all of us (except joy) laughing at the ever -present terrorizing threat of "balls-of-snakes"(read: large entangled masses of water moccasins) that to this day joy S W E A R S lurk under every floating styrofoam dock & roil around in the open water waiting to bite skiiers & her......but especially, we love the food the ice chest might as well have been a treasure chest full of gold. that's how much we love our lake food. joy & i had been planning this feast for days- chips ahoy cookies, carrots, grapes, pop, cantaloupe, those frosted sugar cookies that are way too messy for home, white bunny bread, iceberg lettuce, but most importantly that all-important yellow plastic package of oscar mayer beef bologna. things you would never eat at home are magically transformed into food of the gods in a boat on the lake.
joy had been talking incessantly for days about how much she was anticipating this delicious sandwich-this memory of our childhood come to life between two slices of wonder bread. it was to be the much bally-hooed highlight of her weekend. maybe even her whole summer.
the morning went well. lots of kids taking turns tubing. lots of kids taking turns "driving" the boat. l i f e w a s g o o d ....for about 12 more minutes.
we found a nice little spot to cut the motor-thought we might drift a little, but we didn't drop the anchor. joy & i set out the smorgasborg. it was a thing of beauty.... for about 7 more minutes.
kids were all happily eating, grandpa bill was admiring the scenery, the guys were talking about how to keep the motor from flooding again....joy & i had everyone taken care of , as is customary among us moms... the moment came when joy began assembling her beloved favorite bologna sandwich on 2 perfect pieces of white (it's gotta be white) bread - when all of a sudden......what's THIS? grandma nancy seems to be in a bit of distress............good heavens......she's....she's......choking?!? oh-my-gosh. i sprang into action-which for me was talking. "are you ok?"......no words....turning red......"are you breathing?".......i rather firmly began patting grandma nancy on the back...i'm on the verge of panic. with 11 people in a relatively small space, what was astounding was how oblivious everyone was to this turn of events. grandpa bill was still gazing into the distance pointing out interesting features of the shoreline to 2 totally engrossed 6 year olds. david & josh were having trouble getting the boat to start back up & were considering options as we began drifting dangerously close to the reeds (they figured it was just flooded again). other kids were trying to poke holes in their juice boxes with the flimsy straws clinging to the sides of their hawaiian punch.....and all the while, joy is holding her precious bologna sandwich with mayonnaise watching in horror as i try in vain to help grandma nancy- who at that precise moment coughed up a baby carrot onto the fake blue carpet on the floor of the boat....then proceeds to announce that she is going to LOSE IT. oh, noooooooooo! not on the kids! not on the....... b o l o g n a ! "quick! over the side!"
i am still talking. some of the less fortunate kids had caught on by now-ellen was holding her ears & covering her eyes & might have been humming, too- who knows? john had,too - john, my child who barfs any & every time any one else does......."JOHN! CLOSE -YOUR- EYES!" but , it was too late. seconds later, the co-captain's chair was covered in orange cheet-o remains & sticky pink sugar cookie icing. not completely sure, but there may have been sprinkles. all the while, joy is sitting there on her igloo, mouth agape, yet unable to speak surveying the hysteria unfolding all around her. then, without expression, in one swift motion of the arm, she flung her beloved bologna- on- white over her right shoulder & into the lake.
it was the single most horrifyingly funny 75 seconds of my entire life. i HAD managed to remember to throw in a roll of paper towels, so after a brief wipedown of the orange & pink food carnage- lest some other offspring would begin to hurl- the boat was still stalled & we were up to our pontoons in reeds. there was only one solution. someone was going to have to get in & physically hold the boat. everyone peered over the side into the shallow, chunky reeds- complete with the remains of one bloated bologna sandwich which the fish (at least the ones who didn't like barf) were starting to fight over. no one spoke. finally, without discussion, it became clear that josh & david were going to have to do it. reluctantly, but bravely they gathered their courage & together they bailed over the side & held the boat in chest-deep murky bologna barf water until the people from the marina jet-skiied out to save us.
joy never had her sandwich. grandma nancy was NEVER invited to the boat again. but, i turned 39...or 40 (who's counting?) none-the-less & as a birthday present have this great story to tell & re-tell & it always bring down the house. the end.
-the snackmom ...who decided not to post a recipe this time since 1.) no one probably has an appetite after that & 2.) nothing, but nothing, we take to the lake is EVER home-made...that's the best part of it...well, that & the stories
this particular year i had the brilliant idea idea of a lake birthday. i L O V E the lake. we grew up spending wonderful weekends on lake eufaula on our houseboat of many names...."first mate", 'forty-feet-of-fun", "tres niñas"...say when.....depending on who you asked. i could write a blog about that boat.
this fine saturday, we'd rented a huge pontoon boat for the day & ventured out with us, my sister, joy, her husband & some of their kids as well as my beloved in-laws & 47 life preservers. now, joy & i love the lake- the suntan (burn), the swimming, splashing, that good kind of tired & hungry, & all of us (except joy) laughing at the ever -present terrorizing threat of "balls-of-snakes"(read: large entangled masses of water moccasins) that to this day joy S W E A R S lurk under every floating styrofoam dock & roil around in the open water waiting to bite skiiers & her......but especially, we love the food the ice chest might as well have been a treasure chest full of gold. that's how much we love our lake food. joy & i had been planning this feast for days- chips ahoy cookies, carrots, grapes, pop, cantaloupe, those frosted sugar cookies that are way too messy for home, white bunny bread, iceberg lettuce, but most importantly that all-important yellow plastic package of oscar mayer beef bologna. things you would never eat at home are magically transformed into food of the gods in a boat on the lake.
joy had been talking incessantly for days about how much she was anticipating this delicious sandwich-this memory of our childhood come to life between two slices of wonder bread. it was to be the much bally-hooed highlight of her weekend. maybe even her whole summer.
the morning went well. lots of kids taking turns tubing. lots of kids taking turns "driving" the boat. l i f e w a s g o o d ....for about 12 more minutes.
we found a nice little spot to cut the motor-thought we might drift a little, but we didn't drop the anchor. joy & i set out the smorgasborg. it was a thing of beauty.... for about 7 more minutes.
kids were all happily eating, grandpa bill was admiring the scenery, the guys were talking about how to keep the motor from flooding again....joy & i had everyone taken care of , as is customary among us moms... the moment came when joy began assembling her beloved favorite bologna sandwich on 2 perfect pieces of white (it's gotta be white) bread - when all of a sudden......what's THIS? grandma nancy seems to be in a bit of distress............good heavens......she's....she's......choking?!? oh-my-gosh. i sprang into action-which for me was talking. "are you ok?"......no words....turning red......"are you breathing?".......i rather firmly began patting grandma nancy on the back...i'm on the verge of panic. with 11 people in a relatively small space, what was astounding was how oblivious everyone was to this turn of events. grandpa bill was still gazing into the distance pointing out interesting features of the shoreline to 2 totally engrossed 6 year olds. david & josh were having trouble getting the boat to start back up & were considering options as we began drifting dangerously close to the reeds (they figured it was just flooded again). other kids were trying to poke holes in their juice boxes with the flimsy straws clinging to the sides of their hawaiian punch.....and all the while, joy is holding her precious bologna sandwich with mayonnaise watching in horror as i try in vain to help grandma nancy- who at that precise moment coughed up a baby carrot onto the fake blue carpet on the floor of the boat....then proceeds to announce that she is going to LOSE IT. oh, noooooooooo! not on the kids! not on the....... b o l o g n a ! "quick! over the side!"
i am still talking. some of the less fortunate kids had caught on by now-ellen was holding her ears & covering her eyes & might have been humming, too- who knows? john had,too - john, my child who barfs any & every time any one else does......."JOHN! CLOSE -YOUR- EYES!" but , it was too late. seconds later, the co-captain's chair was covered in orange cheet-o remains & sticky pink sugar cookie icing. not completely sure, but there may have been sprinkles. all the while, joy is sitting there on her igloo, mouth agape, yet unable to speak surveying the hysteria unfolding all around her. then, without expression, in one swift motion of the arm, she flung her beloved bologna- on- white over her right shoulder & into the lake.
it was the single most horrifyingly funny 75 seconds of my entire life. i HAD managed to remember to throw in a roll of paper towels, so after a brief wipedown of the orange & pink food carnage- lest some other offspring would begin to hurl- the boat was still stalled & we were up to our pontoons in reeds. there was only one solution. someone was going to have to get in & physically hold the boat. everyone peered over the side into the shallow, chunky reeds- complete with the remains of one bloated bologna sandwich which the fish (at least the ones who didn't like barf) were starting to fight over. no one spoke. finally, without discussion, it became clear that josh & david were going to have to do it. reluctantly, but bravely they gathered their courage & together they bailed over the side & held the boat in chest-deep murky bologna barf water until the people from the marina jet-skiied out to save us.
joy never had her sandwich. grandma nancy was NEVER invited to the boat again. but, i turned 39...or 40 (who's counting?) none-the-less & as a birthday present have this great story to tell & re-tell & it always bring down the house. the end.
-the snackmom ...who decided not to post a recipe this time since 1.) no one probably has an appetite after that & 2.) nothing, but nothing, we take to the lake is EVER home-made...that's the best part of it...well, that & the stories
May 9, 2011
long live peach tea! (it may be served at my funeral)
peach tea is T H E drink of jenks black football.
& the VBS teacher snackroom ...& pre-school mother's day tea parties ...& piano recitals. ..& other things.
i have probably made thousands of gallons of the stuff. people swear they volunteer to work at VBS just for the peach tea that awaits them on breaks. it's embarrassingly simple & probably my most requested recipe... which would be even better if there WAS a recipe. i wing a lot of things.
it's just a can of powdered peach flavored tea mix (name brand or generic) doctored up a little. i LOVE doctoring stuff up. i'm sorta like ann byrn, the cake mix doctor, meets sandra lee, the semi-homemade gal, meets giada. well, kinda. i just threw that in to keep you on your toes. i AM Italian, but that's where the similarities end, sad to say. but back to all- American peach tea. i like to label it "peach/apricot/mint" tea. sounds much more complex & it gives me more credibility that admitting i dump in a canister of artificially flavored peach tea mix & add water. SO, i add apricot nectar...or peach nectar, if apricot disappears from the grocery store shelves , as it has the habit of doing. then i plop in a few sprigs of fresh mint, sprinkle in a little extra sugar & tons of ice.
one unfortunate day years ago in the VBS snackroom, when apricot nectar was nowhere to be found, i had the brilliant idea of adding apricot jell-O (you know i love me some jell-O:) into the mix....with disastrous results. there were tiny apricot jell-O beads permeating the whole mess & it was terribly embarrassing to serve up my now-famous tea as a part solid/part liquid. live & learn. tea should not have to be served with dental floss.
last june during VBS, i couldn't find apricot nectar ANYWHERE (& it's pretty expensive when you're making 11 gallons a week anyway) so i revisited the jell-O idea. great flavor, but the big question was how to avoid miniscule jell-O shots in every glass? so, i experimented. prepared the jell-O according to directions (for once) & then dumped it into the crock with the already made tea- it was wonderful-and as a bonus,cheap.... but, you MUST add the mint for the necessary depth of flavor & sophistication. it's so Southern.... mint is so easy to grow, too- just throw it into a pot or the segregated corner of your garden where it can be contained. it's like a bossy sister (no, i do not have a bossy sister, but i've seen them) & takes over everything until it has control & has permeated everything. so, unless you are a fan of mint infused chives, tomatoes & peppers, keep it apart from the rest of your herbs & stuff.
anyway, peach/apricot/mint tea is refreshingly delish. i've seen football players actually lay under the igloo & dispense it directly out of the spout without bothering with
a paper cup. i've seen football players do a lot of weird things. but, they love & adore peach tea. it's a mainstay at all thursday buffet nights- i can not make enough. it's a ritual. well, that & i don't want to even THINK about facing a 230 lb. offensive lineman if i show up without it.
this is for you, sheldon.
*peach/apricot/mint tea* (of which no official recipe exists)
1 canister peach flavored iced tea mix (lipton & great value make it)
1 12 oz. can apricot nectar, if you're lucky & can find it, peach of you can't, jell-O, if you're gutsy
3-4 sprigs fesh mint, crushed a little
water (not sure how much- about a gallon or whatever the can says)
ice
mix all of this up & stir well to dissolve the tea mix...& by the way, jell-O beads to not dissolve-ever. just adjust the amounts according to your taste-add more sugar if you want-or use apricot jell-O , if you're the brave sort. take to football practice. or anywhere.
-the snackmom
& the VBS teacher snackroom ...& pre-school mother's day tea parties ...& piano recitals. ..& other things.
i have probably made thousands of gallons of the stuff. people swear they volunteer to work at VBS just for the peach tea that awaits them on breaks. it's embarrassingly simple & probably my most requested recipe... which would be even better if there WAS a recipe. i wing a lot of things.
it's just a can of powdered peach flavored tea mix (name brand or generic) doctored up a little. i LOVE doctoring stuff up. i'm sorta like ann byrn, the cake mix doctor, meets sandra lee, the semi-homemade gal, meets giada. well, kinda. i just threw that in to keep you on your toes. i AM Italian, but that's where the similarities end, sad to say. but back to all- American peach tea. i like to label it "peach/apricot/mint" tea. sounds much more complex & it gives me more credibility that admitting i dump in a canister of artificially flavored peach tea mix & add water. SO, i add apricot nectar...or peach nectar, if apricot disappears from the grocery store shelves , as it has the habit of doing. then i plop in a few sprigs of fresh mint, sprinkle in a little extra sugar & tons of ice.
one unfortunate day years ago in the VBS snackroom, when apricot nectar was nowhere to be found, i had the brilliant idea of adding apricot jell-O (you know i love me some jell-O:) into the mix....with disastrous results. there were tiny apricot jell-O beads permeating the whole mess & it was terribly embarrassing to serve up my now-famous tea as a part solid/part liquid. live & learn. tea should not have to be served with dental floss.
last june during VBS, i couldn't find apricot nectar ANYWHERE (& it's pretty expensive when you're making 11 gallons a week anyway) so i revisited the jell-O idea. great flavor, but the big question was how to avoid miniscule jell-O shots in every glass? so, i experimented. prepared the jell-O according to directions (for once) & then dumped it into the crock with the already made tea- it was wonderful-and as a bonus,cheap.... but, you MUST add the mint for the necessary depth of flavor & sophistication. it's so Southern.... mint is so easy to grow, too- just throw it into a pot or the segregated corner of your garden where it can be contained. it's like a bossy sister (no, i do not have a bossy sister, but i've seen them) & takes over everything until it has control & has permeated everything. so, unless you are a fan of mint infused chives, tomatoes & peppers, keep it apart from the rest of your herbs & stuff.
anyway, peach/apricot/mint tea is refreshingly delish. i've seen football players actually lay under the igloo & dispense it directly out of the spout without bothering with
a paper cup. i've seen football players do a lot of weird things. but, they love & adore peach tea. it's a mainstay at all thursday buffet nights- i can not make enough. it's a ritual. well, that & i don't want to even THINK about facing a 230 lb. offensive lineman if i show up without it.
this is for you, sheldon.
*peach/apricot/mint tea* (of which no official recipe exists)
1 canister peach flavored iced tea mix (lipton & great value make it)
1 12 oz. can apricot nectar, if you're lucky & can find it, peach of you can't, jell-O, if you're gutsy
3-4 sprigs fesh mint, crushed a little
water (not sure how much- about a gallon or whatever the can says)
ice
mix all of this up & stir well to dissolve the tea mix...& by the way, jell-O beads to not dissolve-ever. just adjust the amounts according to your taste-add more sugar if you want-or use apricot jell-O , if you're the brave sort. take to football practice. or anywhere.
-the snackmom
May 8, 2011
"i'll never fall in love again..." 1969 & other tales
1969 was a good year. i was in kindergarten, sporting a pixie haircut & carpooling every afternoon at 12:30pm with two of my best friends, john & shawn.
my clearest memory of that year (aside from meeting my best friend, kristie, & the GLORIOUS play kitchen in our classroom- that even at the age of barely 5 was my favorite place on earth) was listening to "i'll never fall in love again" playing on the radio in the blue oldsmobile on the way to st. stephen's methodist church every afternoon (kindergarten was private in OK in 1969). "what do ya get when you kiss a guy? you'll get enough germs to catch pneumonia- after ya do, he'll never phone ya...i'll 'll 'll ......"
what i DON'T remember was the blessed day in that year when mrs. nickle scribbled down the recipe for brownie fudge cupcakes & gave it to my mother. l i f e c h a n g i n g.
perhaps there is no single recipe that defines my family like this one- it is our family tradition. period. there is no telling, although i wish there was, how many hundreds (thousands, definitely thousands) of these my mom & sisters (& friends & nieces) & i have made since that day........enough to build an oleo colliseum (see * i can't believe it's not butter* from april for the oleo lowdown-this is one of the exactly 3 recipes in the world that must be made with margarine-butter just doesn't get the same result-weirdly).
they are perfect. perfect. perfect. made with simple pantry ingredients you always have on hand (or should). they are fudgy, rich & develop this wonderful crackly top when they bake- no need to frost. they're so easy to mix up in a single bowl (no mixer needed), tote well to everywhere & anyone at all who has ever tried one has fallen in love on the spot.
it's the ONLY family recipe that has ever begged the question, "should we SHARE it?" "COULD we share it?" it's almost sacred.
well, i think the statute of limitations has run out on hogging this recipe, so now, some 42 years later, it's going public. it may disappear tomorrow since i didn't hear back from my sisters & mom when i asked their permission to post it & they may blow a brownie fudge gasket when they see this .....so, write fast, my 20 followers (& julius)........this is your chance!
i think i hear karen carpenter singing in approval............
*brownie fudge cupcakes*
1 stick (nearly plastic) margarine ( i like imperial brand the best)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup chopped pecans-optional, but recommended*
*man, these are full of naughty, bad ingredients*
melt & mix the "oleo:)" & chocolate chips in the 'wave or on the cooktop... in a medium mixing bowl mix the other 4 ingredients together, beating well.....add the chocolate mixture- no need to cool before- mix well & pour into 10 paper lined muffin tins....that's it- ridiculously easy...bake at 325* for , hmmmmm, i never set the timer.....say, 18 minutes, until they crackle on top but are still slightly underdone.....we eat them warm right out of the muffin pan, but if you have people coming over, then 1. make a double batch 2. hide them & 3. serve with ice cream & hot fudge (homemade is best & easy- i'll post that one soon)....it's so fun to share this special recipe with you all-happy mother's day!
*almost forgot to mention that these are insanely good with a peanut butter cup smooshed in before baking- we love the great value brand b/c they have really creamy centers & melt marvelously*
-the snackmom
*this post created a little bit of a stir for the 9 hours it was on recently- my mother saw it & read it & hinted that maybe the statute of limitations NEVER runs out on things of a sacred nature, like brownie fudge cupcakes- then she was shocked when i hastily deleted it....you see, she wasn't serious, she was trying to joke around with me a little- it's just that she's not the goofy, joking type- you all who know & love her appreciate how kind & sweet she is- and she DOES like to laugh a lot, but she just doesn't kid a lot- so i took it seriously & got all prickly-panicked-you know that feeling......but really all along she was happy for me to pass on this little treasure that means so much to our family......so, to make a long story a little bit longer.....here it is......at long last- joy said just today that she is happy to be sharing it , too, though josh doesn't think she's made hundreds of them-she needs to get bakin' 'em.....hoping jana feels the same way- we're sure she does:) we hope she does....
my clearest memory of that year (aside from meeting my best friend, kristie, & the GLORIOUS play kitchen in our classroom- that even at the age of barely 5 was my favorite place on earth) was listening to "i'll never fall in love again" playing on the radio in the blue oldsmobile on the way to st. stephen's methodist church every afternoon (kindergarten was private in OK in 1969). "what do ya get when you kiss a guy? you'll get enough germs to catch pneumonia- after ya do, he'll never phone ya...i'll 'll 'll ......"
what i DON'T remember was the blessed day in that year when mrs. nickle scribbled down the recipe for brownie fudge cupcakes & gave it to my mother. l i f e c h a n g i n g.
perhaps there is no single recipe that defines my family like this one- it is our family tradition. period. there is no telling, although i wish there was, how many hundreds (thousands, definitely thousands) of these my mom & sisters (& friends & nieces) & i have made since that day........enough to build an oleo colliseum (see * i can't believe it's not butter* from april for the oleo lowdown-this is one of the exactly 3 recipes in the world that must be made with margarine-butter just doesn't get the same result-weirdly).
they are perfect. perfect. perfect. made with simple pantry ingredients you always have on hand (or should). they are fudgy, rich & develop this wonderful crackly top when they bake- no need to frost. they're so easy to mix up in a single bowl (no mixer needed), tote well to everywhere & anyone at all who has ever tried one has fallen in love on the spot.
it's the ONLY family recipe that has ever begged the question, "should we SHARE it?" "COULD we share it?" it's almost sacred.
well, i think the statute of limitations has run out on hogging this recipe, so now, some 42 years later, it's going public. it may disappear tomorrow since i didn't hear back from my sisters & mom when i asked their permission to post it & they may blow a brownie fudge gasket when they see this .....so, write fast, my 20 followers (& julius)........this is your chance!
i think i hear karen carpenter singing in approval............
*brownie fudge cupcakes*
1 stick (nearly plastic) margarine ( i like imperial brand the best)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup chopped pecans-optional, but recommended*
*man, these are full of naughty, bad ingredients*
melt & mix the "oleo:)" & chocolate chips in the 'wave or on the cooktop... in a medium mixing bowl mix the other 4 ingredients together, beating well.....add the chocolate mixture- no need to cool before- mix well & pour into 10 paper lined muffin tins....that's it- ridiculously easy...bake at 325* for , hmmmmm, i never set the timer.....say, 18 minutes, until they crackle on top but are still slightly underdone.....we eat them warm right out of the muffin pan, but if you have people coming over, then 1. make a double batch 2. hide them & 3. serve with ice cream & hot fudge (homemade is best & easy- i'll post that one soon)....it's so fun to share this special recipe with you all-happy mother's day!
*almost forgot to mention that these are insanely good with a peanut butter cup smooshed in before baking- we love the great value brand b/c they have really creamy centers & melt marvelously*
-the snackmom
*this post created a little bit of a stir for the 9 hours it was on recently- my mother saw it & read it & hinted that maybe the statute of limitations NEVER runs out on things of a sacred nature, like brownie fudge cupcakes- then she was shocked when i hastily deleted it....you see, she wasn't serious, she was trying to joke around with me a little- it's just that she's not the goofy, joking type- you all who know & love her appreciate how kind & sweet she is- and she DOES like to laugh a lot, but she just doesn't kid a lot- so i took it seriously & got all prickly-panicked-you know that feeling......but really all along she was happy for me to pass on this little treasure that means so much to our family......so, to make a long story a little bit longer.....here it is......at long last- joy said just today that she is happy to be sharing it , too, though josh doesn't think she's made hundreds of them-she needs to get bakin' 'em.....hoping jana feels the same way- we're sure she does:) we hope she does....
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