So, as chronicled in my last post, a few weeks ago some of my Facebook friends were posting or sharing this recipe for a legendary brownie with only 37 calories per square (See Friday's post).
I bought into the hype and last Friday morning I went out to the store,
I bought into the hype and last Friday morning I went out to the store,
 | bought all the ingredients the recipe called for, |
...And with great eagerness and excitement I made a batch of 37-calorie brownies
 | that were so terrible that I tossed them into the trash forthwith. Tom saw me toss them but quickly retrieved one brownie from the top of the pile, took a bite, grimaced, then tossed it back into the trash. |
Those 37-calorie brownies were that bad. End of story.
But I did pick up an insight from a comment on last Friday's bad brownie blog made by my friend Marianne:
"Any recipe with applesauce instead of butter and stevia instead of sugar is bound to disappoint. My favorite brownie has lots of butter and chunks of Ghiradelli chocolate. I simply eat one small brownie at a time. And skip a meal !"
Now here's the thing: Before I tasted those brownies Marianne could have preached to me 'til the cows came home that: 1). a brownie recipe using stevia and applesauce was bound to disappoint, 2). there's no such thing as a good brownie without sugar and butter, and 3). if you don't want all the calories then either skip the brownie or eat the brownie and skip a meal.
But I wouldn't have listened to her. I had stars in my eyes. Or maybe in my mouth. I willingly, happily, spent all that ingredient money and prep time* on a quest for a 37-calorie dream brownie made of applesauce, stevia, yogurt and oatmeal. It wasn't until I laid eyes on those flat, ugly brownies that were the end product of my hopes and efforts, bit into a square and got zapped with the most godawful bitter taste then had to deal with the nasty after-taste that probably hung on my brain a lot longer than on my tongue that I wised up.
I guess sometimes the only way you learn is by biting the brownie.
*Well, okay, not all that much money or time, but you know what I mean.
But I did pick up an insight from a comment on last Friday's bad brownie blog made by my friend Marianne:
"Any recipe with applesauce instead of butter and stevia instead of sugar is bound to disappoint. My favorite brownie has lots of butter and chunks of Ghiradelli chocolate. I simply eat one small brownie at a time. And skip a meal !"
Now here's the thing: Before I tasted those brownies Marianne could have preached to me 'til the cows came home that: 1). a brownie recipe using stevia and applesauce was bound to disappoint, 2). there's no such thing as a good brownie without sugar and butter, and 3). if you don't want all the calories then either skip the brownie or eat the brownie and skip a meal.
But I wouldn't have listened to her. I had stars in my eyes. Or maybe in my mouth. I willingly, happily, spent all that ingredient money and prep time* on a quest for a 37-calorie dream brownie made of applesauce, stevia, yogurt and oatmeal. It wasn't until I laid eyes on those flat, ugly brownies that were the end product of my hopes and efforts, bit into a square and got zapped with the most godawful bitter taste then had to deal with the nasty after-taste that probably hung on my brain a lot longer than on my tongue that I wised up.
I guess sometimes the only way you learn is by biting the brownie.
*Well, okay, not all that much money or time, but you know what I mean.
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