First BBQ of the Season!

Memorial Day was so long ago, right? Well that was when Jack and I held our first BBQ of the season. Quite frankly I’ve been tied up in numerous graduations to even have a spare second to post about the fun time we had, with great food and drinks.

We hosted this grand ol’ affair in honor of a Monday off, and a goodbye to some good friends. The meal included grass fed beef burgers and brats, along with Sangria and Smore’s Brownies (another Joy the Baker recipe). The brownies were pretty good, all be it a little dry because I overcooked them. The Sangria however, was a hit, though not entirely homemade. This calls for a big shout out to Carlos Rossi and his $8 jug of sangria- along with some cut up oranges and grapes.  We all ate our first watermelon and corn on the cob of the season, and it was delicious! If this is how summer continues to be, it could quite possibly become the best ever.

I must say that while the meal was terrific, I was sad to see our friends leave for the armpit of the US called New Jersey. Thankfully they will be back next year, and we can have another wonderful Summer Feast.

Here is the recipe for Smore’s Brownies. Thank you Joy for your delicious recipe, but please note that brownies continue to cook when out of the oven, so do not overcook.

S’mores Brownies

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• 5 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 cup graham cracker, roughly crushed with your hands
• 12 big marshmallows (I used a bunch of little marshmallows because I had them on hand)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 9×13-inch baking pan with 2-inch-high sides. Combine first 3 ingredients in small bowl. Stir butter and chocolate in a medium sized bowl over a heavy saucepan of simmering water.  Stir chocolate and butter in this double boiler until melted and smooth.

Beat eggs, sugar and vanilla in large bowl to blend. Stir in warm chocolate mixture, then dry ingredients. Fold in graham crackers.  Pour batter into prepared pan. Dot with 12 large marshmallows.  Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 30- 40 minutes.

Marshmallows will be browned and puffy but will deflate as the brownies cool.  Cool for at least 20 minutes than slice with a sharp knife, cleaning the knife with hot water if it gets too messy and sticky.  Serve or wrap individually in wax paper for storing.