ALTERED CUISINE--BROWNIES FOR GROWN-UPS

This is almost a recipe, but just almost. It starts with (shhhh!) a mix. I prefer to think of it as "altered cuisine". After all, altered couture is really big right now; why not wrap a whole 'nother group in a big bear hug of inclusiveness? Altered! It's not just for dresses any more!


So. Take your favorite brownie mix.

The one I use calls for the addition of eggs, vegetable oil, and water. That's the first point of alteration.

Substitute good, strong, brewed coffee for the water. Even better, if you have a coffee liqueur on hand, such as Kahlua, use that.

Now grind some coffee beans extra fine, and add one teaspoon of that ground coffee to the brownie mix. I guarantee you won't get a gritty brownie, just one with an extra mocha punch.

Once you've mixed the brownies and put them in the baking dish, sprinkle the top with chopped nuts. I used pecans; whatever you have on hand will work just fine.

Bake as directed.

Did you use the coffee liqueur in place of the water? Mama, not the kids, gets to lick the bowl!

P.S. These brownies taste great with a glass of red wine. Enjoy!