Lunch Girl Brownies – Barefeet within the Kitchen

Thick, chewy, fudgy brownies with beneficiant chocolate icing are engaging sufficient to have me consuming these Lunch Girl Brownies for dinner. 

This publish was initially printed eight years in the past. I remade these brownies earlier this 12 months whereas interested by my good friend Joan. I reshot them on the time, realizing that I wished to share this publish once more on the eighth anniversary of her passing.

Chocolate for Joan

My chocolate-loving good friend Joan would most positively approve of consuming brownies for dinner! This Lunch Girl Brownie recipe is one among hers that has develop into a household favourite for us as nicely.

Joan handed away unexpectedly on October 22, 2015. Whereas crying and grieving the subsequent day, I made a decision to bake in reminiscence of her. I spent that weekend making a lot of her favorites after which shared the sweets with mates.

Joan was captivated with her desserts and I think about that she would have gotten a kick out of being remembered with an abundance of chocolate.

Lunch Girl Brownies

You’ll want the next components to make the brownies:

• butter
• cocoa
• gentle brown sugar
• white sugar
• eggs
• vanilla extract
• all-purpose flour

Chocolate Frosting for Brownies

You’ll want the next components to make the frosting:

• butter
• powdered sugar
• cocoa
• salt
• milk

Lunch Girl Brownies Recipe

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13 baking pan or line with parchment paper. In a big mixing bowl, whisk collectively the butter, cocoa, brown sugar, and white sugar.

Add the eggs and the vanilla. Whisk once more till clean. Add the flour and stir till mixed.

Pour into the ready pan and use a spatula to unfold the thick batter to the corners. Bake for 22-24 minutes, till a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs.

Brownie Frosting Recipe

Whereas the brownies are baking, make the frosting. In a mixing bowl, mix the butter, powdered sugar, cocoa, and salt.

Beat with an electrical mixer for 1-2 minutes, till mixed. The combination will probably be largely dry crumbs. Add the milk and beat once more for 1-2 minutes, till clean and creamy.

Take away the brownies from the oven and allow them to cool for only a few minutes. Gently unfold the frosting over the brownies whereas they’re nonetheless fairly heat. Let cool earlier than slicing.

To know Joan was to like her and chuckle along with her, she impacted numerous lives each single day. In her reminiscence, chocolate recipes have been shared across the web.

My mates, encompass your self with individuals who deliver you pleasure. Hug them tight. And eat some chocolate right this moment too, #chocolateforjoan.

recipe tailored from and with loving because of Chocolate, Chocolate and Extra

{initially printed 10/28/15 – recipe notes up to date 10/22/23}

It hurts, mates. It hurts a lot. Dropping a good friend isn’t simple. It shouldn’t be. Buddies affect our lives in numerous methods, and actually nice mates take a bit of our coronary heart with them when they’re gone.

I’m a greater particular person for having recognized Joan Hayes. She was a beautiful good friend and she or he won’t be forgotten.

There are such a lot of reminiscences. The time Joan ordered ALL THE FOODS on the Snooze menu as a result of she couldn’t slender it down and wished to a minimum of style the whole lot. The occasions she refused to eat a subpar dessert as a result of it wasn’t well worth the energy.

The numerous occasions she laughed and mentioned that fruit isn’t dessert, chocolate is the one actual dessert. Laughing as she confidently requested a chef if he was certain there wasn’t one thing fabulous hiding within the kitchen that wasn’t on the menu after which watching in amazement on the tray of chocolate desserts that have been magically supplied.

The evening she mentioned, “We must always simply keep up all evening, we’re midway there already.” Seven hours later, with blurry eyes and an aching facet from hours and hours of laughter, we dropped her off on the airport.

Joan was a grasp at making each second of life the most effective it might probably be.

We walked up and down the seashore in St. Thomas, speaking about our youngsters, and desires for the subsequent few years, and the loopy world of running a blog. Joan referred to as this previous 12 months her “12 months of journey.”

She met on-line mates in particular person and made numerous new mates and reminiscences. I’m glad that so many people have been in a position to hug the neck of our candy good friend and get to know her in particular person this 12 months, in addition to on-line.

The final time I noticed her was in Georgia whereas I used to be visiting my household there. She drove as much as Augusta, over 3 hours every means, simply in order that we might spend just a few hours collectively. Not as a result of “I” was essential, however as a result of relationships have been essential to her.

Joan beloved spending time with family and friends and she or he lived her life to the fullest. She was one of many least pretentious, friendliest, and completely actual folks I’ve ever recognized.

Wandering round Augusta, GA collectively, we browsed vintage shops searching for outdated silverware. Later we discovered a bakery to strive.

She candy talked the workers into pulling truffles out of the chilly case so she might {photograph} them by the window and keep in mind them to re-create the recipes at residence.

Ordering a slice of each single dessert in that bakery, so she might style every one. Laughing as we packed and took residence two buying baggage stuffed with the remaining desserts to share with my household.

Joan was an indescribably beneficiant particular person. She achieved nice success professionally and she or he shared her information, her phenomenal social media attain, her weblog’s site visitors, each side of her success was shared with others.

She believed with each little bit of her coronary heart that running a blog ought to be a part of a neighborhood and by no means a contest. She helped everybody she met and made everybody’s life higher simply by realizing her.

Joan was probably the most ready for dying particular person I’ve ever recognized. She wished to know that her youngsters could be taken care of it doesn’t matter what. She instructed everybody to “put it in writing” and “be sure everybody is aware of your intentions.”

It breaks my coronary heart that her message to BE PREPARED turned out to be such sensible recommendation as a substitute of the hypothetical knowledge I might a lot slightly it have been.

Her household was her world and she or he beloved her children a lot that I ache for them proper now. Joan’s love of life, household, and chocolate was evident by her weblog, Chocolate, Chocolate, and Extra.

She created a chocolate-filled legacy for her household. Her dream was that her weblog would assist help her household over the approaching years.

Joan died of an enormous coronary heart assault in the midst of the evening. She was solely 49 years outdated. She talked about a abdomen ache earlier than going to sleep, not recognizing this is among the indicators of a attainable impending occasion. (Many ladies assume they’re getting the flu previous to a coronary heart assault.)

Please learn by these Coronary heart Assault Signs and all the time get checked out when you expertise any of those and share them together with your family and friends.