This was very good. The flavors are balanced and you can even go a little overboard with any of the spices according to taste and not ruin anything. In my case, I added a bit more lemon juice and basil as I like that combination a lot. I made some stir fried veggies on the side and used the same recipe on those meant for the shrimp. Both then went on top of some pasta and it was awesome!

Reviewed On: Jun. 10, 2009

Oh man. These rock. I've never done the cut outs but they're -fantastic- as traditional brownies. Some of my tricks: I've been able to cut 1/4 cup of the sugar out and leave out 1/4 cup of the butter/margarine without having the taste/texture changing at all to make the recipe at least slightly healthier. I add in 2 tbs strong brewed coffee with the vanilla extract and eggs. For a NM variation (we put heat into everything): 1 1/4 tsp cinnamon and 1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper. Anything less and you won't even notice the heat. Anything more and you may regret adding it. Cherry variation: 1 cup dried tart cherries and 2tbs cherry juice or 1tsp cherry extract. I've also found I get a more delicate texture if I allow the wet ingredients to "rest" for a few moments in between adding each component and mixing them. This recipe creates what may be the most perfect brownie ever. And I love how easy it is to clean up after!

Reviewed On: May 4, 2009

I hate leaving low marks for a recipe, but I just couldn't get this one to work right. I suspect the addition of the coffee may be the cuprit since there's water in it. Each time I've tried this recipe, the smooth, glossy chocolate becomes grainy and unusable (for fondu, at least. Thank God for brownies). I'm going to try one last time soon, leaving out the coffee and then maybe I can redo the rating. EDIT: Redoing the rating. This recipe works better with no coffee. It causes the chocolate to seize up. I'm sure the coffee flavor could be had with coffee liquor or extract instead, but don't use the real thing unless you like wasting ingredients.

Reviewed On: Mar. 30, 2009