If Elizabeth remembered any morning, she remembered the morning that crept out like a gecko hiding between slabs. It had been a cold night, her ferns blanketed with discarded sheets and old towels, the furnace kicking in only after she wrapped Nora and then Michael in one more blanket. Goodnight she breathed into their ears, tickling those tiny follicles that sway like wheat in a field. Goodnight they murmured back, already drifting, slipping into a world covered in dewy grass.
She woke to the sound of a garbage man dumping glass bottles into his truck. The clatter or the music pulled her out of bed and over to the window where she watched the other houses begin to turn on their kitchen lights. A cup of coffee, a bagel, a bowl of cereal, a few segments of orange.
He came over before the children were awake, she remembered this because she still longed to stretch her finger to brush across his lips. Be quiet, they're sleeping, she must have said.
Together they sat on the carpeted floor, legs crossed, both staring into the other's face, his face so wide and heavy with the past few weeks of living away.
Where have you been, she mouthed, not wanting those words to float into the air of her living room, to fall behind the sofa, to nestle into a dusty vase. Gone for almost 3 weeks and she kept on telling Michael and Nora he would be back, just a few more days, she promised until they stopped asking.
He began to speak but then he pulled back, resting his weight on his hands behind him, stretching out and away from Elizabeth's lean towards him. I've got to go, he said suddenly, standing up and knocking his knee against the coffee table they had bought when he finally finished school and landed his first job.
The door opened, closed, he walked down the sidewalk, rubbing his arms with his hands, shuffling away as Elizabeth stood firmly planted. She began to pluck off the fitted polka-dot sheets that covered her plants, folding each one before moving unto the next. They would have french toast and eggs for breakfast and Elizabeth would pretend, once again.
She woke to the sound of a garbage man dumping glass bottles into his truck. The clatter or the music pulled her out of bed and over to the window where she watched the other houses begin to turn on their kitchen lights. A cup of coffee, a bagel, a bowl of cereal, a few segments of orange.
He came over before the children were awake, she remembered this because she still longed to stretch her finger to brush across his lips. Be quiet, they're sleeping, she must have said.
Together they sat on the carpeted floor, legs crossed, both staring into the other's face, his face so wide and heavy with the past few weeks of living away.
Where have you been, she mouthed, not wanting those words to float into the air of her living room, to fall behind the sofa, to nestle into a dusty vase. Gone for almost 3 weeks and she kept on telling Michael and Nora he would be back, just a few more days, she promised until they stopped asking.
He began to speak but then he pulled back, resting his weight on his hands behind him, stretching out and away from Elizabeth's lean towards him. I've got to go, he said suddenly, standing up and knocking his knee against the coffee table they had bought when he finally finished school and landed his first job.
The door opened, closed, he walked down the sidewalk, rubbing his arms with his hands, shuffling away as Elizabeth stood firmly planted. She began to pluck off the fitted polka-dot sheets that covered her plants, folding each one before moving unto the next. They would have french toast and eggs for breakfast and Elizabeth would pretend, once again.
As a tribute to Friday and the upcoming weekend, I decided to end this week with a delectable and sinful treat. These brownies are by far one of the most popular baked items I make. The 13x9 inch pan never lasts long (which is a good thing, for Ryan and me). They are pitch-perfect: chewy, thick and exploding with chocolate flavor.
When I thought about the other dessert I would serve at my party, I knew that these brownies would trump any other possible sweet. But in order to make a classic recipe a bit more exciting, I added a layer of butterscotch chips and toasted coconut on top (because who can argue against those two ingredients?).
The result was a beautiful bar with the flavors of chocolate, caramel and coconut melding together.
This classic recipe is open to many different types of adaptations. I imagine that dried cherries or cranberries with white chocolate chips on top would be a wonderful treat during the winter months. Or of course, we could slather a thick layer of peanut butter across the top and all float up into dessert heaven. I would love to hear some of your favorite brownie variations.
I hope everyone has a weekend full of rest, laughter and love. Let us all remember that the people in our lives are the greatest gift we've been given.
When I thought about the other dessert I would serve at my party, I knew that these brownies would trump any other possible sweet. But in order to make a classic recipe a bit more exciting, I added a layer of butterscotch chips and toasted coconut on top (because who can argue against those two ingredients?).
The result was a beautiful bar with the flavors of chocolate, caramel and coconut melding together.
This classic recipe is open to many different types of adaptations. I imagine that dried cherries or cranberries with white chocolate chips on top would be a wonderful treat during the winter months. Or of course, we could slather a thick layer of peanut butter across the top and all float up into dessert heaven. I would love to hear some of your favorite brownie variations.
I hope everyone has a weekend full of rest, laughter and love. Let us all remember that the people in our lives are the greatest gift we've been given.
German Chocolate Brownies
1 1/4 cup cake flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped coarse
12 TBSP unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces
2 1/4 cup sugar
4 large eggs
1 TBSP vanilla extract
1 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup toasted coconut
1. Line a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with aluminum foil and grease well. Whisk together the flour, soda and salt in a medium bowl.
2. Melt the chocolate and the butter in the microwave, stirring often, 1 to 3 minutes. Pour the chocolate mixture into a large bowl and allow to cool slightly. Add the eggs, one at a time, incorporating well after each addition. Whisk in the vanilla and then gradually fold in the flour mixture, in three additions.
3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes (or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs).
4. Sprinkle the butterscotch chips evenly over the brownies as soon as you remove them from your oven. Allow to sit for about five minutes and then smooth the softened chips into an even layer, sprinkling the toasted coconut on top. Allow to cool on a wire rack for at least two hours before serving.
1 1/4 cup cake flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped coarse
12 TBSP unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces
2 1/4 cup sugar
4 large eggs
1 TBSP vanilla extract
1 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup toasted coconut
1. Line a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with aluminum foil and grease well. Whisk together the flour, soda and salt in a medium bowl.
2. Melt the chocolate and the butter in the microwave, stirring often, 1 to 3 minutes. Pour the chocolate mixture into a large bowl and allow to cool slightly. Add the eggs, one at a time, incorporating well after each addition. Whisk in the vanilla and then gradually fold in the flour mixture, in three additions.
3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes (or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs).
4. Sprinkle the butterscotch chips evenly over the brownies as soon as you remove them from your oven. Allow to sit for about five minutes and then smooth the softened chips into an even layer, sprinkling the toasted coconut on top. Allow to cool on a wire rack for at least two hours before serving.
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