The Winning Brownie Recipe from “The Great Brownie Taste-off”

 By Lisa Maliga, copyright 2024

Ten years ago I wrote the first book in what would become a [so far] 4-book cozy mystery series. It was more sweet romance than cozy mystery, but I was pleased with the story and the second book in the series was a proper cozy mystery story.

The changes made to “The Great Brownie Taste-off” include removing some extraneous descriptions and backstory, getting rid of the magical secret ingredient, and having a more realistic relationship between Yolanda and Zac. And I kept refining that brownie recipe until I really liked it. It’s not my favorite dessert or snack, but now I appreciate a good, hot brownie fresh out of the oven.

Please scroll down to see the recipe and watch the video tutorial.

"The Great Brownie Taste-off" Book Description

Cat shelter employee Yolanda Carter loves her job, but her dream is to own her own bakery. Living in Sherman Oaks, California with her tuxedo cat, her only outlet is baking treats for her friends, coworkers and family.

Her situation changes when her high school friend, Teagan Mishkin, drops by to tell her about an incredible job opportunity that will give Yolanda enough money to launch her bakery.

The job interview takes an unexpected turn and Yolanda stumbles across a scheme to close the cat shelter. She concocts a sweet plan to save the shelter and share her decadent brownies in the Great Brownie Taste-off. Assisted by her artisan parents, friends, and coworkers, will she win the taste-off and save the cats?

Link to all versions of THE GREAT BROWNIE TASTE-OFF
Do you like listening to books? The Great Brownie Taste-off is available on Amazon Audible.

THE WINNING RECIPE!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup [1 stick] unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup organic coconut palm sugar
• 2 eggs [room temperature]
• 1/2 cup [4 ounces] dark chocolate
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
• 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder, Dutch processed, sifted

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• Grease your pan with butter.
• Sift the cocoa powder and flour together in a small bowl. Set aside.
• Chop up chocolate if using a bar. Melt chocolate and butter together over a double boiler. Use low heat to ensure the chocolate doesn’t seize.
• In a large bowl, add the sugar.
• Add an egg, mix well, then add the second egg and mix well.
• Stir in melted butter and chocolate mixture.
• Gently fold in flour and cocoa powder, until combined. Add the vanilla extract.
• Pour mixture into pan and bake for 30-35 minutes. Let the brownies cool completely. Cut into squares.
• Enjoy.  

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"Notes from Nadir" 4 Years Later

On October 21, 2010, the first eBook edition of Notes from Nadir was published on Kindle. Written as a series of blogs, Notes from Nadir made its online debut on March 3, 2010. My blog gradually began to attract readers. They seemed interested in reading the forthcoming novel that Notes from Nadir would later become.

Last year I published the second edition of “Notes” and even with a book tour, sales and reviews weren’t happening. The problem may be the title – nadir isn’t a common word. So, if you’re curious, and haven’t already gone to Dictionary.com to check it out, here’s the official description along with a hint about what Notes from Nadir is all about.

If noon is zenith then nadir is 6:30. And it was 6:29 and counting down. Way down. Merriam-Webster defines it as: "The lowest point." Nadir – it was the place where I was inevitably going. Lots of stuff got me headed in that downward direction. Decisions made too late. Unmade calls. Calls made that weren't answered. Missed connections. Being at the right place at the wrong time. Excuses. I was caught in the web of my own cause and effect and the resulting karma was ripening. Ripening of karma meant that payment was due pronto. And who paid for my own karma? Me. No checks accepted. No credit cards. And there sure as heck weren't any I.O.U's.

Only one place left to go. Back east. Back to a place I no longer called home. Back to a mom I hadn't lived with or seen in many years. She had a new house in a quiet semi-retirement community. She had a spare room. Two-car garage. Free internet. And a few conditions…

Chapter 5 – Arriving in Nadir

In the morning, I awoke before sunup, knowing that it was my last day on the road. I didn't want to hang around a motel room when I still had a few hundred miles to go. Soon I'd cross the Mississippi River and be in another state. I'd see things that hadn't been seen in years: Hardee's, Sunoco, Steak 'n Shake, and White Castle.

Driving into the rising sun. Crossing into a state that had a top speed of 65. I saw more snow. When I was partially through the state, I stopped and got gas. It was definitely colder and I stepped over some snow to get to the pump. Being almost "home" was starting to suck.

The end stretch of the 2,000-mile journey led through flatlands and farmlands with intermittent groves of trees to eradicate the geographical monotony. How dull and colorless compared to the dramatic scenery of Arizona and New Mexico. Those miles rolled by as I reluctantly headed east to a "home" I had never seen since Mom moved to her one-story dwelling eight years ago.

The miles vanished. My arrival was imminent. I glanced at traffic heading west and recalled how it was when I was driving in that direction—full of hope. Now, I was full of despair, full of failure. Each mile led me closer to the "cornfield with lights" as my father, who had escaped before me, referred to it.

I changed to a smaller two-lane road that would lead me to within a mile of Mom's new house. I had long ago memorized her address and she'd told me which streets to take and how easy it was to find. The new subdivision was called Hampton Lake and it was for older people. She'd sent me some pictures of her house and it was as generic as any modern one-story frame house with neutral colors and a few windows offset by some shrubbery and trees. Passed a place where I used to work and saw it had been replaced with a mart type store. Couldn't help noticing the traffic signals were the old fashioned kind that were strung on wires rather than posts that extended across the intersection like they did in L.A.

I took a wrong turn and had to go another mile in some suburban/country area before I found the right street. I drove slower than normal until I saw the large wooden Hampton Lake sign. Next to it was an American flag. As I drove to the end of the cul de sac I had reached the End Point of my journey.

Amazon Kindle http://www.amazon.com/Notes-from-Nadir-ebook/dp/B00486UDJA

Paperback http://www.amazon.com/Notes-Nadir-Lisa-Maliga/dp/1493519077/

B&N Nook http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/notes-from-nadir-lisa-maliga/1100144163?ean=2940012697790

iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id737543475

Kobo http://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/books/Notes-from-Nadir/du3hDkmS6ku7BTL-MCWctw

Scribd https://www.scribd.com/book/230453712/Notes-from-Nadir

Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/35983

Notes from Nadir ~ Manic Monday Excerpt

By Lisa Maliga
Copyright 2013

eBook cover

It’s 2009. Lisa Hansen is impacted by the great recession and can’t focus on her writing career. She has to make the tough decision to stay in Los Angeles or return to her former Midwestern home. Not having seen her mother in over a decade, she moves back in with her in a suburban semi-retirement community. Confronted with long forgotten memories, Lisa finds it difficult to adjust to life in Nadir. She works a couple of dead end jobs, and meets Gordon, a sexy British bakery owner. An opportunity to freelance for him and work as a writer/photographer at The Factory ensures a better income. But how long will she be confined in a lifestyle that she has long outgrown? “Notes from Nadir” is an alternatively poignant and amusing story of life’s unforeseen journeys, sorrows, and rewards.

Where is Nadir?

Merriam-Webster defines nadir as "the lowest point." And that is where Nadir is located. It’s not a place that is found on any map. No GPS will guide anyone there. Nadir is a state of mind.

Notes from Nadir is approx. 88,000 words/292 pages. The release date is Tuesday, November 5, 2013. Both eBook and paperback versions will be available on or around that date.

Chapter 47 ~ Manic Monday

[This is a brief excerpt from the chapter].

Right before lunch one of the Packers came over and announced: "Bakery donuts downstairs in the warehouse … main door!"

On a Monday? Rita smiled and turned to me, "That's great! They sometimes donate donuts from the bakery down the street. It's really a great place…" she got up and was heading for the stairs a lot faster than I'd seen her move since I began working there.

I followed her; I could walk faster than her as I didn't wear a size 18. I knew her size because she saw a pair of large black pants on my cart and said they'd fit her and placed a bid on them. She didn't win them as some other fatso from Nebraska did.

Near the main door I saw a big flimsy pink cardboard box on top of a dilapidated table. It was surrounded by red shirted employees.

Most of the warehouse employees didn't wear gloves. They spent the day handling pee-stained rugs and bedding, cast off toys and games, old electronics, mildewed books, filthy furniture with chewed up legs and torn upholstery; all manner of junk. And they were pawing through the donut selection. Not a napkin or paper towel in sight. But that didn't stop Rita or any of the other workers. A toothless worker wearing a faded, almost pink shirt decorated with holes, licked his fingers. Free food, free dessert, and free germs!

Paperback link

Notes from Nadir: The Second [Expanded] Edition

NOTES FROM NADIR the second edition will be available in eBook and paperback formats on November 5, 2013. 

It has been updated and expanded and is approximately 290 pages/88,000 words.

"Notes from Nadir" is an amusing and poignant look at a Los Angeles-based writer who returns to her Midwestern home due to financial difficulties. Moving back in with Mom in a semi-retirement community, she looks for jobs that pay far less than the wages she earned back in L.A.  From working at a bakery where she hopes to get to know the boss a little better, to finding a job at an online auction site, the author introduces us to a wacky assortment of characters. Along the way, she deals with Mom's declining health, unsympathetic relatives, and rediscovers a place she left many years ago when she dreamt of becoming a screenwriter. The narrator struggles with being in Nadir, both the place and the state of mind. 

A new excerpt will be posted next week.

eBook cover

Paperback cover

If you would like an ARC [PDF] so that you can post a review on your blog or on an online bookstore, please send me an email at: Lisa_Maliga@msn.com 

Paperback “Out of the Blue” is Here!

Are you the kind of reader who likes to turn pages instead of click arrow keys? Do you like to hold a book instead of a computer or eBook reader? Do you prefer being able to use a real bookmark to mark your place? The good news is that my coming of age novel, OUT OF THE BLUE, is now a “real” paperback book!

How did I come up with the idea for this title? Well, it involved a little jaunt across the ocean. I took some time off from work and traveled around England for several months. Staying in London was too expensive so I went north – to the Cotswolds. There I stumbled upon a small village inn that served as a model for the Windrush Arms Hotel.

The village did boast a “television personality” a man nearing retirement age who had once upon a time been in two long-running British telly shows. I'd never heard of him but the way he was treated by the locals clued me in that he was “a somebody.” The barmaid was a young Italian woman who was also traveling around and improving her English. I later learned that she took up with the “television personality” but I never learned of their fate.

I wondered what if the actor was a little more known internationally? And what if the young woman who was interested in him was American? Thus, the beginnings of “Out of the Blue” were born.

Much of the action takes place in a small, scenic village in the U.K. It’s the late autumn of 1981, and the Princess of Wales was expecting Prince William. You'll find no mention of cell phones, Prince Harry, i-anything, 9-11 … back then people actually smoked in pubs and ashtrays were even provided.

OK, without any more of an intro, here's the official blurb:

Sylvia Gardner is a naïve cashier who lives with her psychologically abusive mother in Richport, Illinois. Vivian Gardner repeatedly tells her daughter not to trust men because they only want to use her. Upset with being dumped by her first boyfriend; Sylvia later falls in love with an English actor after watching him on a PBS drama. For two years, she researches Alexander Thorpe's life and career, saving her money to travel to his Cotswolds village, intent on meeting him. Staying in the village's only inn, she gets room and board in exchange for working at the Windrush Arms Hotel.

Alexander is going through a career crisis, as he wants to continue making art films. He still hasn’t embraced the notion of “going Hollywood.” Additionally, the walls of loneliness and booze are closing in due to a long stint between acting gigs.

Complications ensue when the drunken hotelier, Harry Livingstone, takes a fancy to Sylvia. As in her fantasies, Sylvia and Alexander get together—but with unexpected results. 

Amazon: Out of the Blue

Amazon UK: Out of the Blue