Anna Olson's Decadent Brownies

Mayonnaise is the secret ingredient that replaces butter and makes these brownies rich and fudgy.

Makes (1) 9" x 13" (23 cm x 33 cm) pan
Cuts into 24 squares

• 4 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped 120 g
• 2⁄3 cup boiling water 150 mL
• 2 cups sugar 500 mL
• 2⁄3 cup mayonnaise 150 mL
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 5 mL
• 1 cup all-purpose flour 250 mL
• 1⁄2 cup cocoa powder, sifted 125 mL
• 1⁄2 tsp salt 2 mL
• 1 cup chocolate chips 250 mL

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F (175˚C). Grease and line a 9" x 13" (23 cm x 33 cm) baking pan with parchment paper.
2. Place the chopped chocolate in a large bowl and pour boiling water overtop. Let the chocolate mixture sit one minute, then whisk to melt.
3. Whisk the sugar into the chocolate mixture and, then add the mayonnaise and the eggs, one at a time. Stir in the vanilla extract.
4. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, stir in the flour, cocoa powder and salt until well blended. Stir in the chocolate chips.
5. Scrape the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread evenly. Bake for about 30 minutes, until a tester inserted in the centre of the brownies comes out clean. Cool to room temperature.
6. Brownies slice best when chilled, but taste best at room temperature.

Once sliced, you can store the brownies in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Anna Olson's Chocolate Truffle Lollies

Anna Olson's Chocolate Truffle Lollies--Perfect for Valentine's Day!

Makes 24

Truffle Ganache

• 3/4 cup whipping cream (185 mL)
• bittersweet chocolate, chopped (270 g)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
  
  

Assembly & Coating

• 24 skewers
• 5 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped and melted (or white chocolate or milk chocolate)
• cocoa powder and icing sugar for dusting

1. Heat the whipping cream to just below a simmer and pour over the chopped chocolate. Stir gently to blend. Stir in vanilla extract and cool to room temperature. Beat with a whisk to lighten it a touch, then cool the mixture in the frisge for about an hour before shaping.
2. Spoon small teaspoonfuls of the chocolate mixture and roll into balls. Place on a baking tray and insert a bamboo skewer into each. Freeze for 30 minutes. Dip each truffle in melted chocolate, coating it completely, and place on a clean tray, or set in a lollie stand. Once the chocolate coating is set, dust with icing sugar or cocoa powder, or pipe swirls of melted chocolate.

Refrigerate. Remove an hour before serving. Truffles can keep at room temperature for a day.

Customized Wall Art

I love the idea of custom wall art, and this is an excellent way to do it!
You create the panels of images you love the most, and the best part? You can swap them out and switch them up with the seasons!

Just imagine what an addition to your home this will be--you can make panels of your children for their birthdays and put up photos from years past on their special day.

You can make panels for the seasons or holidays--Spring ones of your family dying eggs or filling their Easter baskets; wheat grass growing in your kitchen window, the first bulbs of spring pushing up in your backyard.

Fall panels of photos of pumpkins, cranberries, or apple pies; your family playing in the leaves; the pictures of your children on their first day of school.

Photos of Summer holidays, Christmas morning or your favorite vacation.

Words you love, lyrics to songs, a panel for each member of your family that you update every year. You can even make chalkboard panels and use it as a chore list or inspiration board.

The possibilities are endless! Here is the project information--have fun! Item numbers are provided for easy ordering.

The Art Of Smart

The Art of Smart

Create customized art for your walls! Print your personal artwork or photos and display them in this simple, versatile rail system. (Images of Elmo letters are used in this photo, link below.) You can make any wall in your home or office your canvas. Display the artwork in a one-row rail system or stack the rails row-on-row to any height - the sky's the limit. The beauty of this system is that it's so easy to change your artwork at anytime, for any occasion. It's smart art!

MATERIALS

• 1" x 2" pine
• finger joint pine lattice moulding 11⁄16"
• 1⁄8" hardboard to mount photos
• 3⁄4" finishing nails 2134-407
• 21⁄2" finishing nails 2134-461
• wood glue 2020-850
• rubber cement 5738-650
• utility knife 1034-165
• hammer 1030-558
• metal ruler 1048-075
• 150 grit sand paper 1060-176
• stud finder 1010-862
• level 1036-221

Mounting artwork

Cut the hardboard to the exact size of the artwork. To dry mount, apply rubber cement to the back of the artwork and the front of the hardboard and allow it to dry completely. Position the artwork on the hardboard and press in place.

Measuring and cutting the rails

The rails are made from the 1"x 2" pine and lattice moulding strips. Total the width of all artwork for one row, allowing an additional 1⁄4" for each piece. Add 3" to the total, then cut the pine and lattice pieces to this length.

Measuring and cutting end strips

For each end strip you will need a 11⁄2" strip of hardboard cut to the height of the artwork and a 1" x 2" pine strip cut 1⁄4" shorter. Sand and finish all pieces as desired.

Assembling rail

Use wood glue to attach the lattice strip flush to the top of the pine and secure in place with 3⁄4" finishing nails.

Hanging rails

Starting with the bottom rail, level, mark, then use 21⁄2" finishing nails to mount it to the wall studs. For the second rail, measure 1⁄4" higher than the artwork height, level, mark and nail the rail in position. Repeat until all rails are installed. Position a 11⁄2" hardwood end strip at both ends of each rail. Glue and nail the pine end strips on top.

Inserting artwork

Slip the top of the mounted artwork under the lip of the top rail. Rest the bottom of the artwork on the top of the bottom rail.

Download letters from the Elmo Sesame Street alphabet

Anna Olson's Chocolate Chip Cookies

While it's important to follow baking recipe measurements, adding a few extra chocolate chips to this family favorite is absolutely encouraged!

Makes about 2 1⁄2 dozen cookies

• 1⁄2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 125 mL
• 1⁄2 cup light brown sugar, packed 125 mL
• 1⁄4 cup sugar 60 mL
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 5 mL
• 11⁄4 cups all-purpose flour 310 mL
• 2 tbsp cornstarch 30 mL
• 1⁄2 tsp baking soda 2 mL
• 1⁄2 tsp salt 2 mL
• 1 cup chocolate chips 250 mL
  
  

1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F (175˚C) and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper, or lightly grease the sheets.
2. Cream the butter, brown sugar and sugar together until fluffy.
3. Beat in the egg and then add the vanilla extract.
4. In a separate bowl, stir the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt together.
5. Add the flour mixture into the butter mixture, and stir until evenly blended. Stir in the chocolate chips.
6. Using a tablespoon, drop the dough onto the prepared cookie sheets, leaving 11⁄2 inches between each cookie.
7. Bake for 10 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown. Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes, and then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Mother's Little Helper

Mothers (and Fathers, and Grandparents, and Babysitters), meet your new best friend.

The Skrapr. Say goodbye to fingernails worn down to the quick from scratching and scrubbing your countertops or floors. Dried up playdough? Baked on egg? Pot of pasta overflowed? Daughter decorated the floor with stickers? Son decorated the counter with glitter glue?

Originally designed as a non-damaging scraper for ceramic stove-tops, this baby is handy in so many other ways.

In the Kitchen:

• Counters: Granite, Marble, Corian, Silestone, and most other smooth counter surfaces.*
• Glass-Top Stoves: Use The SKrAPr with only a small amount of water to remove most burnt food stains. For hard to clean areas the SKrAPr’s hardened edge can safely be used to remove these stains.
• Griddles: Use The SKrAPr to easily remove burnt eggs, pancake batter, etc.
• Le Crueset Pots and Pans: Stuck on rice, sauces around the edge, all easily removed on these types of cooking vessels with just a little water.
• Hard Anodized Pots and Pans: Clean these with the flat side of the blade and a little water.
• Cookie Sheets: Easily remove burnt chocolate and sugars with The SKrAPr’s edge.

Around the House:

• Hardwood Flooring: Clean paint drips, putty, gum, etc., off wood surfaces and floors.
• Tile Floors: Clean away paint, putty, glue residue quickly and easily from most smooth tiled surfaces.
• Windows and Doors: The SKrAPr is the only tool that guarantees a scratch free cleaning while removing paint, bird droppings, stickers, etc, from your house windows.
• Bathrooms: Remove soap scum in the shower, silicone caulking around the tub.
• Living Room: Use The SKrAPr Jr to remove candle wax from tables, shelves, etc.

*The SKrAPr should be tested first on Stainless Steel counters and stoves as some Stainless Steels are softer than others and therefore may be marred by The SKrAPr.

• The Skrapr
• Will not scratch glass top stoves
• Will not mar or scratch surface
• Virtually indestructible
• Skrapr paper included to keep The Skrapr sharp
• Mildew resistant
• Temperature resistant
• Dishwasher safe