It's Not Over 'Til the Candy's All Gone

Halloween candy hangover?

Sick of Snickers and tired of Twix? Wallowing in Whoppers?

You could throw it out. That would be the responsible thing to do.

But here at Mignardise, we rarely (if ever) do the right thing when it comes to chocolate.

In fact, we boosted our Halloween haul in the best way possible.

We baked it into brownies.

Use the Katherine Hepburn Brownie recipe I posted last April. It's the easiest and best brownie recipe ever, if you like them fudgy.

Chop up as many different kinds of candy from your kid's bag as you like. I suggest staying away from things like Starburst or Sour Patch Kids. We used Reese's, a KitKat, M & Ms, a Hershey's bar and Whoppers. Mix them into the brownie batter before baking.

As you pour them into the pan, tell yourself that you'll give them away to a neighbor. What good intentions you have!

Then you remember your neighbor is gluten-free.

You could take them to the pre-football game dinner.

But is all that chocolate really good for finely-tuned athletes on the eve of a big game?

I guess you'll just have to eat them yourself...

The Best Thing I Ate All Week

Do you remember when I said this would be a new weekly feature?

I may be a little slow off the mark, but here's the first.

"Sesame Macadamia Caramel Nut Tart with Toasted Coconut Ice Cream, Housemade Hot Fudge and Rum Caramel Bananas" from Blue Ginger in Wellesley, Mass., "shared" with my friend Beth.

Yes, it was as amazing as it sounds.

I would love to show you a picture but I was too busy eating to take one.

What's the best thing you ate all week? Please comment!

Don't Wait - Bake!

Friends, it was almost two days without power and I've come to a new and scary realization. I am addicted to the internet. To my email, Facebook, food blog surfing, shopping on line, Tastespotting, and to blogging. There's a lesson in all this. I've been wanting to share a couple of things with you, but I WAITED TOO LONG and the lights went out. Metaphorical? You decide. But don't wait too long.
Anyway, the power's back, I'm back. Earlier this week, before the storm, I cooked up some really decadent brownies. If you don't like fruit with your chocolate, like some people I know (Bob), these won't be for you. If you are willing to go beyond the basic brownie and think of this as a holiday sort of brownie, I think you'll be very glad you made them. Rich and fudgy, festive with the cranberries and pistachios, they're easy and quick to make. Find the recipe from Bon Appetit here.

Orange-Scented Brownies with Cranberries, Pistachios and Ginger

Our neighborhood cookie exchange is coming up this week. I'm not sure what I'll be making yet. It could be an old favorite like Cranberry-Coconut Macaroons. Or I might try something different, say a biscotti or a chocolate-dipped shortbread. Whatever I decide, I'll be sure to let you know. There are some things you shouldn't put off.