How about some brownies and pie?

So about the Great Brownie Smackdown.

To complete the fall-themed pies already on the menu, I was invited to make brownies for Thanksgiving dinner this year. But, of course!

But recently I spotted a recipe over at Moosh in Indy nonchalantly called The Best Damn Brownies You’ll Ever Have.

The gauntlet? It was thrown down, as far as I was concerned.

When the brownie encouragement came at Thanksgiving I leapt at the opportunity to make Hank & Willie’s Triple Chocolate Brownies and lay them side by side with these so-called Best Damn Brownies. In front of an impartial audience, of course.

So I made them. The only alteration I made was to take them out of the oven five minutes ahead of schedule, because they were starting to look a little dry, and I was pacing in front of the oven like an expectant father in the maternity wing, circa 1955. Except without the cigars.

And?

Casey, I SWEAR I did nothing to bias my family, but 4 out of 5 people surveyed (or something like that) preferred the H & W brownies. Even though your brownies were VERY VERY good.
Let me describe Casey’s brownies for you. Chocolately like a chocolate bar on steroids, but in a good way. And rich, oh so rich. But they were a little firmer than I would like, and had a little less je ne sais qua than I am accustomed to with my favorite brownie recipe. I’m just saying.

However, on the second day, they matured into something even richer, and gained some ground on the H & W brownies. Very interesting.

My father-in-law said he was more than willing to try them both again at Christmas, and suggested I throw a third recipe in there as a true test. I’ll consider it—anyone got a recipe for me to try?

And then? There was the pie.

I wanted to try this dessert from Smitten Kitchen, and baked it on Saturday night. If any of us make it to heaven, I can assure you archangels will feed us this on a cloud using golden forks while winged cherubs rub our feet and peel us grapes.

However, I remain hopeful that in heaven, MY Nutmeg Maple Pie will look like this:

Photo by Smitten Kitchen

and not like this.

 

Photo by me

 

I sure hope those archangels know how to bake.

 

Tags: brownies, Chocolate, maple, pie, recipe, Thanksgiving