Mild, rain later today and a fantastic Brownie Bomb

Good morning Augusta

This morning we have partly cloudy skies giving way to occasional showers this afternoon. High 76°F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph.

Tonight we’ll have a 40% chance of showers this evening, clouding up overnight. Low 59°F. Winds light and variable.

The readings from my weather instruments are:

The Dew Point is 58.3°F, the humidity is 90%, and the outdoor temp is 61.0°F.

The wind direction is West between 0.1 MPH and 0.2 MPH.

The Relative pressure is 29.88, the Absolute pressure is 29.68 and rising with a weather graphic indicating sun.

The UV rating is 1 out of 16, Sunrise is 5:37 a.m. Sunset is 7:50 p.m., Moonrise is 5:39 a.m., Moonset is 8:15 p.m. and tonight we have a NEW MOON being 0% illuminated.

Visibility is 10.0 miles / 16.1 Kilometers with clear skies.

We didn’t receive any rain over the past 24 hours.

Space weather for today is:

The Solar flux is 69, the solar wind speed is 374 Kilometers per second and the chance of

a solar storm is 1%.

I’ve posted this before, but given the time of year and the fact that summer vacation is now in sight, why not make it again to ease the trauma of the kids return to school?

BROWNIE BOMBE

Recipe courtesy of “The Kitchen” TV show.  I really enjoy that show.

Ingreidients:

Nonstick cooking spray, for spraying the baking sheet

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup dark brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

4 large eggs

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter

8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cocoa

Directions

Special equipment:

a 4-inch round cutter.

a 2 1/2-quart freezer-safe bowl (about 9 inches by 4 inches).

a 3- to 4-cup freezer-safe bowl (about 5 inches by 2 inches)

For the brownies: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-by-17-inch baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.

Combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, salt and eggs in a large bowl and mix until well combined; set aside.  Melt the butter and chocolate in a double boiler, then whisk together until fully combined. Pour the chocolate mixture into the sugar mixture and mix until fully combined. Fold in the flour and cocoa.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking sheet and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool completely.

For the bombe:

Using a 4-inch ring cutter, cut a round from the baking sheet of brownies. Slice the remaining brownies into approximately 3-by-4-inch rectangles.  You should have 10 rectangles. Keep 5 rectangles as they are and cut the other 5 in half to make triangles.

Line a 2 1/2-quart (about 9 inches across) freezer-safe bowl with plastic wrap. Place the brownie round in the bottom of the bowl and, alternating between the rectangles and triangles, fill the sides of the bowl. Press the brownie pieces into the sides of the bowl so that the interior of the bowl is lined with brownies. Break off any excess that extends above the edge of the bowl.

Make sure to press the seams together so there are no cracks. Break the remaining brownie pieces into small crumbles and reserve. 

Wrap a 5-inch freezer-safe bowl in plastic wrap from the bottom, combining the loose ends of the plastic wrap at the top.  Spread the softened ice cream inside the large bowl over the brownie layer. You should have about a 2-inch-thick layer of ice cream. Place the 5-inch bowl inside the ice cream layer, pushing it into the ice cream slightly to create a well. Cover the top with plastic wrap and freeze until the ice cream is firm, about 2 hours.

Next, In a large chilled bowl, combine the heavy cream, granulated sugar and cocoa. Whip the cream with a whisk or electric hand mixer until stiff peaks form. Remove the bombe from the freezer and remove the small bowl. Pour the hot fudge into the well, then fill with the whipped cream. Combine the reserved brownie crumbles and walnuts and sprinkle over the top of the bombe. Cover with plastic wrap and push down to press the brownie crumbles into the bombe. Freeze until the whipped cream is frozen, about 2 hours.

OPTIONS:

I used some peanut butter ice cream instead of the chocolate, and replaced the whipped cream with vanilla ice cream.  I did not spare the fudge sauce (be sure it’s just pourable, not hot or it will melt the ice cream!), and applied a thick layer before adding the vanilla ice cream.  I covered the top with more fudge sauce before adding the crumbled brownie bits.  I used coarsely chopped peanuts instead of walnuts.

Flavors of ice cream and sauce can be easily changed according to preference.  Use a “fudgy” blonde brownie instead of chocolate?  Butterscotch sauce?  Walnuts, pecans, whatever!