RECIPE SWAP: POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS WHEN MAKING BROWNIES

Brownies are a quick and easy treat with many added benefits. Each brownie is an easy pick-up-and-go snack, recipes yield many serving portions and they are great for almost any event where you are encouraged to bring a dessert. They also mail nicely to out-of-town family and friends.

When I went looking for a few brownie recipes I found myself getting all caught up in a huge variety of recipes. I had to stop and choose a few, of which was very difficult. The chocolate in each recipes was squares of chocolate, chips or cocoa. Then when other ingredients came into play, the possibilities were endless.

You can try different experiments with your brownies. If you already have a recipe that is a family favorite, try adding some fun ingredients to give them a little different taste and texture.

Basic Brownies

5 squares (1 ounce each) unsweetened chocolate

2/3 cup margarine or butter

1 3/4 cups sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

3 eggs

1 cup flour

1 cup chopped pecans

1 package (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease square pan 9x9x2-inches. Heat chocolate and margarine over low heat, stirring frequently, until melted; remove from heat. Cool slightly. Beat sugar, vanilla and eggs in a large bowl on high speed 5 minutes. Beat in chocolate mixture on low speed. Beat in flour just until blended. Stir in nuts and chocolate chips.

Spread batter in pan. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or just until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely. Spread with Chocolate Frosting. Yield: 24 brownies.

Chocolate Frosting

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate

2 tablespoons margarine or butter

2 cups powdered sugar

3 tablespoons hot water

Heat chocolate and margarine in 2-quart saucepan over low heat until melted; remove from heat. Stir in powdered sugar and water until smooth.

This luscious brownie is almost a candy confection. Very rich, but full of flavor.

Milk Chocolate-Malt Brownies

1 (12 ounce) package milk chocolate chips

1/2 cup margarine or butter

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 eggs

1 3/4 cups flour

1/2 cup instant malted milk

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup malted milk balls, coarsely chopped

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease rectangular pan, 13x9x2-inches. Heat milk chocolate chips and margarine in 3-quart saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently, until melted; remove from heat. Cool slightly. Beat in sugar, vanilla and eggs. Stir in remaining ingredients except malted milk balls. Spread batter in pan. Sprinkle with malted milk balls. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool completely before cutting. Yield: 48 brownies.

For the sophisticated brownie lover, try this added touch of almond taste.

Amaretto Brownies

2/3 cup blanched almonds, toasted

8 ounces semisweet chocolate

1/3 cup margarine or butter

1 1/4 cups flour

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons amaretto or 1 teaspoon almond extract

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13x2-inch baking pan. Place 1/3 cup almonds in food processor. Cover and process, using quick on-off motions, until almonds are ground. Chop remaining almonds, reserve. Heat chocolate and margarine in 3-quart saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently, until melted; remove from heat. Stir in ground almonds and remaining ingredients except Amaretto Frosting and chopped almonds.

Spread batter in pan. Bake 22 to 27 minutes or until brownies test done. Cool completely. Prepare Amaretto Frosting and spread on brownies; sprinkle with reserved chopped almonds. Yield: 32 brownies.

Amaretto Frosting

2 cups powdered sugar

3 tablespoons margarine or butter, softened

1 tablespoon amaretto or 1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1 to 2 tablespoons milk

Mix all ingredients until smooth.

For a more cakelike and tender brownie, these cocoa brownies are the answer. Try adding the turtle variation for an out-of-this-world delicious brownie.

Cocoa Brownies

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup shortening

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

2/3 cup flour

1/2 cup cocoa

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chopped walnuts, if desired

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a square 9x9x2-inch pan. Mix sugar, shortening, vanilla and eggs in large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients except nuts. Gently stir in nuts.

Spread batter in pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes. Cool completely. Yield: 16 brownies.

For Turtle Brownies, omit walnuts. Sprinkle 1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans over batter before baking. Bake as directed. Heat 12 vanilla caramels and 1 tablespoon milk over low heat, stirring frequently, until caramels are melted. Drizzle over warm brownies. Cool completely before cutting.

This week we have three recipe requests from area readers. A Cape Girardeau reader has some spices left over from the holiday she used in specific recipes, and now she is wanting other recipes to use up her spices. Please help her with recipes to use Beau Monde and cardamom. It is a shame for her to have these bottles of spices in her cabinet and only one recipe for each to use them up. I know you can help her.

Another request comes from Cape Girardeau, also. This person is desperately wishing to make the stuffed mushrooms like the ones serves at Red Lobster. It is a large stuffed mushroom cap with a seafood dressing. Put on your thinking caps and let's see if we can come up with something for her.

Our final request comes from another Cape Girardeau cook who received a George Foreman cooking grill for Christmas and is looking for steak marinade recipes. She does not want to mask the taste of the meat, only enhance it. She didn't say, but I assume she is wanting beef steak marinade recipes.

These requests should keep you busy on these cold January days. Send in your responses so we can help each of these persons with their requests.

Have a wonderful week, and happy cooking.