FBB's ...

... "MeltInYourMouthExplodeInYourTummy" Orange Chocolate Brownies with Decadent Frosting.

Right.

o.O

So I decided to try out the recipe with SIL over the weekend, seeing she was back from the States and all ... and so we went a-hunting for all ... well maybe not all, we did have some baking essentials leftover. So anyway, we started the process at about 12:00pm.

Sailor Jerry's camera decided to DIE on us, and we didn't have the charger, so I was left with my phone camera, which I decided NOT to use as I was low on battery (2% left la). So the mixing portion - no photos :P. But I must say ... I was using an egg whisk (don't ask why ... it's a long story and I'm still kicking my ass about it) and was trying to incorporate all the dry ingredients together and I was whisking away for all I was worth, stirring up cocoa and flour all over my WoW shirt and trying not to get freaked out that it wasn't ... meshing very well. I guess maybe the butter wasn't exactly at room temperature :P. But hey, we live we learn right?

I thought ... ah screw it! So after about 15 minutes of whisking ... I dumped in the orange juice and rind. I used TWO Sunkist oranges by the way, as I didn't get the amount needed from just one. And then miracles happened. FBB mentioned that it was supposed to look like frosting, and before the juice, it was ANYTHING but frosting lookalike. Post orange juice and more whisking - silky satin finish.

o.O

I was in love. :P

Then I added in the Hershey's (think it was) mix of Dark and Milk Chocolate Chips (yeah, Nigella way of being lazy sue me :P) and continued stirring. We were using this spatula which we got yonks ago from Ikea. Word of advice, don't buy baking utensils from Ikea. :P This spatula was ... a nightmare. It kinda had a mind of its own? Would only really function ... erm ... 1 way? Hard to explain ... so anyway, I was trying to smooth it out as smooth as possible and those little 'pimples' that you see are the chocolate chips (which are awesome by the way, post baking and munching on a brownie now) which kinda melt in your mouth, explode in your tummy in a yummylicious kinda way). I believe my girl Nigella would call it 'gloriousness'. :) Muahahaha.

So popped it into the oven at 170 degrees Celsius as directed for 25, and after a skewer test, a further 5 more minutes, and voila. Obviously this was the brownie baking and we actually sat down for the whole magical process. I must say I felt like some alchemist / warlock who had mixed up some kinda special brew and was watching the magic happen! :)

o.O

Absolutely gorgeous and divine ... it started growing, expanding, drying, cracking ... and the aromas wafting out the oven ... oh Lord ... it was kinda making the neighbors wish they knew us as opposed to just living beside us. Muahaha.

So after 30 minutes - it kinda looked ... like parched ground in Africa before the annual flooding. All cracked at the sides brown and uninteresting.

*sniff*

So I remembered that there was frosting to be poured on ... and let me tell you ... when I had zapped the dark chocolate in the microwave and poured in the cream (the measured amount was at room temperature) and started mixing it ... I was SO .... SO SO SO tempted to leave it marbled ... but, being the good student, obeyed the instructions of FBB's recipe and made it chocolate silk ... and here it was ...

Yummyliciousness!!

Oh by the way ... after a couple of hours of cooling - it kinda looks like it's been swimming in the pool for too long. All raisin-shrunken like. :(

But still yummy! :) Thanks FBB!