Guest Post and Giveaway with Dana Bate!

Chickens-

One of the things I love best about my job is that I get to connect with other writers.  And while I adore my peeps regardless of genre, it is always very special when I can meet a writer in my strange little specific genre of foodie fiction!  So when I was introduced to Dana Bate and her work, it was extra special.  I've been fortunate enough to be able to blurb both of Dana's charming books, The Girl's Guide to Love and Supper Clubs, and the brand new A Second Bite at the Apple.  I just loved both of these books, and thought it would be a fun celebration of the holiday spirit to let Dana take over the blog today and share a recipe from the book and offer a giveaway of a signed copy of A Second Bite at the Apple!  Take it away, Dana...

Many thanks to Stacey for letting me take over her blog for the day!

So today I want to talk about holiday treats. Specifically: brownies.

For a lot of people, the holiday season means cookies: cookies as gifts, cookies as decorations, cookies as a primary form of sustenance.

I should preface what I’m about to write by saying I love cookies. Snickerdoodles, chocolate chip, thumbprint, molasses, peanut butter, oatmeal raisin – I’m pretty sure I’ve never met a cookie I didn’t like.

But here’s the thing: cookies are a time suck. The dough is easy to throw together, sure, but the rolling, the cutting, the scooping, the waiting between batches – it can take a while. And if you are short on time, you may rue the decision to bake those adorable windowpane sandwich cookies.

Brownies, however, are a different story. Brownies take mere minutes to throw together, and then you pour the batter in the pan, stick the pan in the oven, and about 30 minutes later, you are finito señorito.

Now, if you’re anything like me, you don’t want to make plain, old brownies. You want something special, especially this time of year. I have just the ticket: salted fudge brownies.

I have made this recipe countless times, and people always rave. And the best part? They are dead easy. Easy, impressive, and delicious: sounds like a recipe for success to me.

I like these brownies so much that I even mention them in my second book, A SECOND BITE AT THE APPLE – a book that Stacey not only blurbed but has also offered to give to one lucky reader! All you have to do is comment below with your favorite cookie or brownie recipe, and you could soon be the owner of a signed copy!  Submit comments by 11:59 pm CST Monday, and winner will be announced Tuesday!

Salted Fudge Brownies by Kate Krader from Food and Wine Magazine

1. 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
2. 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
3. 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
4. 2 cups sugar
5. 3 large eggs
6. 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
7. 1 cup all-purpose flour
8. 1/2 teaspoon Maldon sea salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a 9-inch square metal cake pan with foil, draping the foil over the edges. Lightly butter the foil.
2. In a large saucepan, melt the butter with the unsweetened chocolate over very low heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat. Whisking them in one at a time until thoroughly incorporated, add the cocoa, sugar, eggs, vanilla and flour. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface. Sprinkle the salt evenly over the batter. Using a butter knife, swirl the salt into the batter.
3. Bake the fudge brownies in the center of the oven for about 35 minutes, until the edge is set but the center is still a bit soft and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out coated with a little of the batter. Let the brownies cool at room temperature in the pan for 1 hour, then refrigerate just until they are firm, about 1 hour. Lift the brownies from the pan and peel off the foil. Cut the brownies into 16 squares. Serve at room temperature.