Here’s a surprising fact (said with a bit of sarcasm): I love to eat anything sweet; I especially love things made with lots of butter and sugar. Hey, there are worse addictions. My mother loves sweets as well. The difference is she can eat one jelly bean a day and be satisfied. Apparently, when this apple fell from the tree, she inherited an endless craving for sugar. My all time favorite dessert is brownies. It was the first thing I learned to bake on my own, and I’ve been tweaking and toying with the recipe for forty years. With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, this is the perfect treat to bake for your Honey. This recipe is an easy recipe for kids to help out or even venture to bake on their own. Valentine’s day is just another excuse to eat more sugar!

Once you make this recipe you will never buy another box mix again. This recipe is nice because you can add extras to your sweetheart’s delight! Try adding 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts or mini chocolate chips. I love this recipe because the cleanup is minimal. You don’t need a fancy mixer. Just a whisk and a rubber spatula and one bowl to mix everything.

Cocoa Brownies

1 stick unsalted butter, melted 1/2 cup cocoa

1 cup sugar

1 egg, lightly beaten 1/2 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Line an 8 inch square pan with parchment paper. Pour the brownie mixture into the pan. Bake for 18­-20 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven. Let the brownies cool for at least half an hour before pulling them out of the pan. Cut with a heart shaped cookie cutter. Melt 1 cup semi­sweet chocolate chips in a microwave in 15­second intervals so as to not burn the chocolate.

Dip one­half of each heart into melted semi­sweet chocolate, and then sprinkle with red sprinkles. Let the chocolate dry before putting the brownies on a plate for dessert. Take the scraps that are left after cutting the hearts and break them up for a special treat to put on top of your ice cream. Brownies made easy; what a perfect gift!

Stay Sweet! Susan