Prudence Hilburn More Content Now

The brownie is one bar cookie that is internationally acclaimed as a favorite. Ask anyone if he or she would like a brownie, and seldom will you hear “no.”
Over the years, brownies have been used by creative bakers to come up with many other favorites. For those who like to experiment with recipe ideas, just get out your favorite brownie recipe, put on your apron and head to the kitchen. The classic brownie recipe is a good basic starting point from which your new culinary ideas can be expressed.
When I was writing “A Treasury of Southern Baking”, published by HarperCollins in 1993, my desire was to include recipes that could be used by both professional bakers and those just learning to bake.
To do this, I decided to have a section called “the busy baker recipes” behind each regular chapter. For example, after the regular cake chapter, there is a mini-chapter called the Busy Baker Cakes.
Polka Dot Brownue Pie, found in the busy baker pies, is for those just starting to learn to bake. No matter how simple the recipe is, if it looks good and tastes good, even a novice will be encouraged to try more. Before we know it, some of them probably will have risen to the professional level of baking.
The following recipe, Brownie Fudge Pudding, is a little more involved and probably is best for those who have been baking for a longer time.

POLKA DOT BROWNIE PIE
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup firmly-packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 stick butter, softened at room temperature
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup chopped white chocolate (or you can use vanilla chips)
1 cup heavy cream, whipped, if desired
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease 9-inch pie plate. Combine sugar, brown sugar, cocoa, flour, butter, eggs, vanilla extract and salt in large bowl. Beat 3 minutes. Stir in pecans and chopped white chocolate. Pour into prepared pie plate. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until a wooden pick comes out clean when stuck into center of pie. Cool completely on rack before serving. If desired, serve with whipped cream.
NOTE: If a young person is learning to bake, it is probably best to use vanilla chips instead of having to chop the white chocolate.

BROWNIE FUDGE PUDDING
4 Tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup of all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
2/3 cup chopped nuts of choice
1 1/2 cups boiling water
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, combine butter, half of sugar, vanilla, flour, 1 tablespoon cocoa, baking powder, salt and milk. Mix well and stir in nuts. In an 8- or 9-inch cake pan at least 2 inches deep, combine remaining 1/2 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons cocoa and the boiling water. Mix well and drop brownie mixture by tablespoons into cocoa mixture. Bake about 30 minutes.

— Prudence Hilburn of Piedmont, Alabama, has won more than 30 national cooking awards and written several cookbooks, including, “Simply Southern and More.” Write her at prudencehilburn@aol.com or visit www.prudencehilburn.com.