Triple Chocolate Brownie Sundaes

Twenty seven years ago today, Grant and I were married. Seven years of school, 8 addresses, 18 cars, 4 kids, 1 dog and a few fish later, here we are. Living the dream.We were so, so young when we got married. I was 19, two years out of high school, Grant was 22. We loved each other, and didn't know a whole lot about life or how to make a marriage work. Wasn't being in love enough? Why did everyone say marriage was SO HARD? We decided to take a chance, say a lot of prayers and be committed to our little family. We learned a lot about giving more than we took from each other, about forgiving and being kind. We learned from mistakes and treated each other the way we wanted to be treated. We learned about laughing at ourselves and each other. A lot of blessings and a little luck. We learned how to say sorry, and mean it. A great man, Neal Maxwell gave us some advice that has proven to be golden. He said "you have entered into marriage with your eyes wide open, now close them a bit to each others imperfections. "

Like the white tux and shoes? So 80's.

We were blessed to be great friends first, have the same core values, and learned to make compromises. I've learned that it is really important to be at a game about 1- 2 hours before tip off, kick off, or the first pitch. Not important to me, but to Grant. Bow hunting is a big deal in our house. August is not a good month to vacation. That's the bow hunt opener. Washing the hunting clothing in solutions of baking soda and special wood scented drying sheets (aka "scent elimination"- bow hunter lingo), doe in heat spray, also important. Gluing carpet pieces on the bottoms of shoes, so the animals won't hear you when you are stalking them, important. Grant knows eating out entails driving around for about an hour before we decide where to eat, then waiting in the car for me, while I go check out the scene inside the restaurant, then being willing to get up and leave if the menu doesn't look good, or if I get a bad feeling once we're seated. Not a bad feeling like a spiritually bad feeling - a foodie bad feeling. Tromping around at Christmas tree farms, or tree lots for a long time before choosing a tree is also a big deal. Pulling out several trees and examining before purchasing, standing next to certain trees in 15 degree weather to stake out a claim is also necessary while I check the lot or farm "one more time", for the 10th time. Planning vaca's around where we will eat, yes, a necessity. So, we both have our little (or big) idiosyncrasies. We both love what Gordon B. Hinkley said about marriage:

"True love is not so much a matter of romance as it is a matter of anxious

concern for the well-being of one's companion."

What to give to the guy who has everything for your 27th anniversary? How to adequately express love to the one who loves you and all of your warts (figuratively). Uhhh. This is a G rated blog...The G rated answer is - Cooking! Yes. Grant LOVES ice cream. He loves hot fudge on ice cream. So I made a batch of my favorite brownies ( I had to have something I loved too) and some home made hot fudge. It's a Ben and Jerry's recipe. The best hot fudge sauce I have ever made. I know you are thinking, you made brownies for Grant because you love them? Yes, but here's the unselfish part (remember, the "anxious concern for his well-being"). I bought chocolate - Ben and Jerry's New York Super Fudge Chunk ice cream for this dish. If it was just up to me, it would have been a little vanilla ice cream, with a big brownie and a little hot fudge. But Grant loves all chocolate. If you have a chocolate lover in your home, they'll love this. Thanks Grantly, for being you, and for loving me. Happy Anniversary.

Ben and Jerry's Hot Fudge Sauce

Ben and Jerry's cookbook

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4 oz unsweetened chocolate

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup whipping cream

Melt the chocolate and butter stirring frequently in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. Add the cocoa and whisk until dissolved.

Using a large spoon, gradually stir in the sugar. The mixture will have the consistency of wet sand. Cook, stirring occasionally over simmering water for about 20 minutes. Check the water level in the double boiler if necessary, replenish if needed.

Gradually stir in the milk and cream and keep stirring until completely blended. Use whisk to get any lumps out. Continue cooking over low heat for about 1 hour. The fudge is ready when completely smooth and all of the sugar is dissolved. Store any leftovers in refrigerator.

Cook's Illustrated Classic Brownies

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1 cup (4 oz) pecans or walnuts chopped
1 ¼ cup cake flour
½ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon baking powder
5 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped *(their recipe calls for 6 oz)
12 Tablespoons butter
2 ¼ cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 325. Line the inside of a 9x13 pan with foil. Push in to corners and up sides of pan, fold any excess over the outside of pan. Spray with Pam.
If using nuts, spread on baking sheet and bake 5-8 minutes.
Whisk to combine flour, salt and baking powder in bowl.
Melt chocolate and butter in large heatproof bowl, or in double boiler. I use my gas range on the lowest setting. Remove from heat when butter and chocolate are melted. Gradually whisk in sugar. Let cool a bit. Add eggs, one at a time. Whisk in vanilla. Add flour mixture in three additions. Fold in. Make sure not to over mix.
Transfer mixture into prepared pan. Sprinkle nuts on top. Bake until toothpick inserted comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. 25-35 minutes. When cooled, lift brownies out of pan by foil. Flatten out overhang foil and cut.


Tips:

-Cooks magazine did a whole write up on making the perfect brownie in March/ April 2004. They analyzed everything that goes in to making the perfect brownie-from the type of flour (cake flour yields a softer texture), to the baking of the nuts, and placing them on top, instead of inside the batter, to insure the nuts were still crunchy, and not soggy. This is one of my all time favorite brownie recipes.

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