Good Vs. Evil! "The best brownies" and Black Bean and Corn Soup!

Over the weekend I got an email from allrecipes.com that listed the top 10 recipes of 2010. And this recipe for homemade brownies was one of the top 10. I had surprisingly never made brownies from scratch...so I have been dying to give them a try! Just whipped them up this morning as a treat for this afternoon for the daycare kids...and made it a double batch so there would be plenty left over for my husband...mr. Baked goods!

They were extremely easy to make and could be altered in many ways to make them healthier, or you could do a variety of add ins. I put nuts in half of my brownies, since that is the way I like them! The frosting recipe that goes with it that is delicious (but you have to melt the butter for the frosting, not just soften it!) Once again, If you want to cut back on fat, calories and sugar, you could simply sprinkle some powdered sugar on the other half just for appearance and omit the frosting.

*one other tip....do not use an electric mixer for the brownie mix, it will allow too much air into the eggs, making the brownies cake like. Just a good old wooden spoon or spatula will do the trick...mix just until combined. An electric mixer is great for the frosting to get it nice and smooth though.

NEVER AGAIN WILL I BUY BROWNIE MIX!

This original recipe from allrecipes.com makes about 16 brownies, I doubled this when I made it.


Ingredients

1/2 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

3 tablespoons butter, softened
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup confectioners' sugar
Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8 inch square pan.
In a large saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter. Remove from heat, and stir in sugar, eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat in 1/3 cup cocoa, 1/2 cup flour, salt, and baking powder. Spread batter into prepared pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Do not overcook.


To Make Frosting: Combine 3 tablespoons butter, 3 tablespoons cocoa, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1 cup confectioners' sugar. Frost brownies while they are still warm.



Black Bean and Corn Soup

I have always loved black bean soup and anything with cilantro in it. I was in the process of making dinner for tonight and the recipe called for black beans, i had a bunch left over, so decided not to waste them and was going to attempt my own batch of black bean soup! I must say, it turned out awesome! And the best part is that it is super healthy for you...low fat and full of fiber!

Ingredients
10 slices bacon, finely chopped
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 1/2 cups canned chopped tomatoes

2 tablespoons ketchup

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
4 (15 1/2-ounce) cans black beans, drained but not rinsed
1-1 1/2 cups frozen corn
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch cilantro

Sour cream, for garnish

Directions

Put the bacon into a large heavy pot and place it over medium heat. Cook until it starts to give up its fat, about 4 minutes. Stir in the onions and cook, stirring, until they start to turn translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the broth, tomatoes, ketchup, Worcestershire, and chili powder. Stir in the beans and frozen corn. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Adjust the heat so the soup is bubbling gently and cook 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, pick off all the thick stems from the cilantro. Wash it and shake dry. Chop the cilantro coarsely and stir it into the soup when it has been simmering 10 minutes. cook until the soup is thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the lime juice. Serve with sour cream to garnish.

*I actually added the cooked bacon at the end, since I do not like bacon IN my food, but knew that others do. So I pulled out a couple cups of soup before adding the bacon.