Friday's Funny Photo and Fantasically Fabulous Food

(I absolutely adore alliteration!)

Roy has been asking for these by name. That means he's been saying, "I really want some of those brownies." For lack of a better name you can call them Those Brownies because once you try them, you will never look back. Box mixes? Pssshhhh. Fudgy Brownies? Nah. Rich Brownies? You thought. This is the brownie to end all brownies. (With an introduction such as that you may be too psyched out. Don't tell me if you don't like them. Also, DON'T READ THIS IF YOU ARE DIABETIC. It is likely merely reading the recipe will send you into shock or perhaps a diabetic coma...)

This recipe is from Pillsbury's Most Requested Recipes. They call it Fudgy-Caramel Cashew Brownies. We call it Those Brownies.

• 3 oz bittersweet baking chocolate, chopped
• 1 cup butter or margarine
• 1 bag (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chips
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 20 creme-filled chocolate sandwich cookies (otherwise known as Oreo's) crushed
• 40 round chewy caramels in milk chocolate (packaged in gold foil), unwrapped, each cut in half (Seriously? I know Pillsbury doesn't make Rolo's but it cracks me up the great lengths they go to to make sure you buy the right product without actually saying 40 Rolo's unwrapped and cut in half.)
• 3/4 cup coarsely chopped roasted cashews (or not if you happen to think you have these but really you only have about 1 Tablespoon of very finely chopped cashews.)

Heat oven to 350* -- 325* for dark pan. Grease 9x13 pan. Place bittersweet chocolate, butter and 1 cup chocolate chips in microwavable bowl. Microwave uncovered on High 1 1/2-2 minutes, stirring twice because if you stir three times it will be ruined? until melted and smooth. Cool slightly, about 5 minutes. or however long it takes you to do the next step.

In large bowl, beat eggs, sugar and vanilla with electric mixer on medium sspeed until smooth. Add cooled chocolate mixture. Beat until well blended. Add flour, baking powder and salt. Beat on low spseed until blended. By hand, stir in cookies and remaining chocolate chips. Pour into pan.

Bake 35-40 minutes or until edges begin to pull away from sides and center is set. Notice, it does not say center is cooked, this is important. Do not overbake. Immediately sprinkle candy (whatever Rolo's you have left after sneaking one here and there for the last 35-40 minutes) on top of hot brownies. Let stand 10 minutes until softened. Pull tip of toothpick through softened candy to spread and swirl (not cover completely) Sprinkle with cashews if you happen to have any. Cool until set, about one hour. It will be difficult, but really these are brownies that actually get better when they cool. For brownies cut into 6 rows by 6 rows. For chocoholics don't bother cutting, just get a really big glass of milk and a fork.