The ingredients

This is the first receipe I memorized. I don’t remember how old I was, but I remember reading the original recipe myself, from the pre-War copy of Fannie Farmer that included lots of advice about boiling canned green beans and making individual custards for invalids, that they might seem more appealing.  The proportions have changed over the years, but this remains a very dependable recipe for excellent brownies. It will survive your landlord’s crummy oven that won’t keep a steady temperature and can be baked in any flat pan or even (on one memorable road trip) in a folded piece of aluminum foil reinforced with wet string.

They are “three-fold” brownies because many of the ingredients can be easily memorized in threes, by a five-year-old girl, for example.

Melt 6 Tbs (3 x 2) butter with 3 oz. unsweetened chocolate.

In a medium bowl, beat together: 1 1/2 C sugar (3 half cups) and 3 eggs. There is no leavening in this recipe – the eggs are all you’ve got – so whip this mixture until it’s yellow and airy. Or not, if you’re in a hurry. The brownies will be terrific either way. Stir in the butter/chocolate mixture, stirring as you pour so that the hot mixture won’t cook the eggs. Add 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla (3 1/2 tsps.).  Add 3/4 C flour and 1/3 tsp salt. Before you fully incorporate the flour, add 3/4 C chocolate chips. Spread the brownies in a greased and floured 9″ x 9″ pan. Bake for 30 minutes* at 350 degrees.

My oven requires about 40 minutes for some reason. You want the top to be shiny and crackled and the insides fairly firm after cooling.

This recipe will also support a 1/2 C raspberry preserves and 1 1/2 tsp of Kirsch instead of vanilla.

Eh voila!

Three-fold brownies

I think those are Barbie sprinkles. Lovely color.

Cake:
1 cup unsalted butter, melted (2 sticks)
1 1/4 cups firmly-packed light brown sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup minced dried cranberries (you really need to mince the berries. I whiz them in the food processor for a minute. You want tiny bits but not a paste.)
1 1/2 ounces white chocolate (such as Ghirardelli brand) chips

Drizzle:
The remaining white chocolate chips melted with 1/4 C butter
1 cup sifted powdered (confectioners) sugar
Enough half and half or cream to make the mixture spreadable

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9-by-13-inch pan with parchment paper and then grease the paper, or use treated foil. These are sticky.

To make cake: In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla; continue mixing until light. Sift together flour, ground ginger and salt; add to the butter-sugar mixture. Continue mixing until flour is incorporated. Fold in dried cranberries and chocolate. Spread the batter in the prepared pan and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool completely in pan.

While it’s still slightly warm, use an  offset spatula or the back of a large spoon to uniformly spread the frosting onto top of cake.

To serve, slice the cake lengthwise down the center, making two long rectangles. Cut each rectangle into four equal portions; slice each of these in half diagonally and then again if you want smaller portions.