Living with Loons + Homemade Brownie Mix

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...The rain has been beating a soft but steady tattoo for hours now, and when the mist lifts, you can see gentle ripples expanding and coalescing as they ruffle the glassy surface of the lake. While it is too early to mate, the loons who give this lake its name, communicate with one another, and as they land and skid upon the water, their mournful wails heighten the solitude and isolation of winter on the lake. If you've never heard the loon's mesmerizing wail and are curious, your can hear it here. We are here to help open the cabin of friends who have often shared their home and hospitality with us. The work has gone quickly and we are left in three small rooms with thoughts fueled by the fragrance of the madrone that feeds the fire as well as the imagination. The cabin is half an hour and a winding road from the nearest store, so the staples that are needed to open the kitchen came with us. The kitchen is small and storage is limited, so little "from scratch" cooking is ever done here. Aside from beer, which is submerged and chilled in the lake, nothing is kept in quantity. The shelves hold the basics: flour, sugar, salt, oil, coffee and powdered milk. Whenever possible, those of us who stay here bring food that needs only reheating or hydration. So, to that end, I've brought biscuit, cornbread and brownie mixes to round out the casseroles that will be dinner for the next few nights. The brownie mix is easy to prepare and makes brownies that will satisfy those in our group who have a demanding sweet tooth. If your summers include a cottage with a barebones kitchen, you might want to keep the recipe on hand. Here is how the brownie mix is made and used.




Brownie Mix...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
3 cups granulated sugar
1-1/2 cup cocoa
1-1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Whisk together all mix ingredients in a large bowl. Place 2 cups of mixture in each of 3 pint jars or in 3 gallon size ziplock bags. Store in a cool dry place. Makes enough mix for 3 (9-inch) pans of brownies.

Brownies...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
2 cups brownie mix
1/2 cup melted butter or oil
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon water

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 x 9-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line bottom of pan with foil or parchment paper and spray again.
2) Combine brownie mix, melted butter, eggs, vanilla and water in a large bowl. Mix with a spoon until combined.
3) Spread in prepared pan. Bake for about 20-24 minutes, until a toothpick comes out 1” from the edge of the pan with only a few crumbs. Cool before slicing into squares.

                    

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