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Little bits of cozy

As snow settles in, I find joy in the small things that make life a little bit more cozy and sweet, two of which I'd like to share. The first is a recipe for an almost instant brownie.

Spoiler alert: I knit these stocking ornaments as gift toppers this year.
But even if you weren't on my gift list, you won't be left out.
The pattern is now available for all, free on ravelry.
I used to keep my cupboard stocked with microwavable, mini brownie bowls, for emergencies, but lately they've been hard to find. There was a packet of instant hot chocolate on the counter which gave me an idea. What if I could just make a brownie with that?

A quick google search revealed several recipes for almost-instant, single serving brownies. All were basically the same: flour, sugar, cocoa, salt, oil, water and vanilla; all with similar proportions of each.

I figured instant hot chocolate was basically the sugar and cocoa pre-mixed. Another quick google search proved my hypothesis pretty much correct. I did a test run of the hot chocolate based recipe — purely for scientific purposes, of course — to discover it was pretty good. It was also pretty large.

Which brings me back to the packet on the counter. We like the Land O' Lakes hot chocolate. It comes in so many different flavors! I measured it out, did some quick math and came up with my own just-the-right-size, almost-instant brownie recipe.

Just-The-Right-Size, Almost-Instant Brownie

1 1-1/4 oz. package of instant hot chocolate
2 rounded Tbsp flour
Dash salt
1 Tbsp oil (or melted butter)
1 Tbsp water 1/4 tsp vanilla (if not using a flavored mix)

 Mix dry ingredients together in a generously sized coffee mug, add remaining ingredients. Mix well. Microwave for 45 seconds. The brownie should look moist in the center.

Enjoy!
But be careful, it's hot.

The next thing I'd like to share is my latest ravelry pattern, Dwarf Socks. Because, what's cozier in winter than wool socks? Teeny-tiny wool socks to warm the heart! Or they can just adorn your Christmas tree. Whatever. I'm simply excited they are getting a warm reception from my fellow ravellers. The pattern isn't exclusive to ravlery members, though. You can download the pdf right here! Download now.

Merry Christmas, everybody! 
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Comments

  1. SallyTDecember 18, 2012 at 6:46 PM

    Just linked to you from your profile on Ravelry after you posted about my handspun. Thanks for your nice comment and thanks for the almost instant brownie recipe. I'll share it with my daughter and she will be very happy!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nickole DahlJanuary 16, 2013 at 6:01 PM

      You're welcome! I hope you enjoy the brownies. Sorry for the delayed comment. This blog has been sorely neglected as of late.

      Delete

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