I had published yesterday’s entry before having access to this wonderful photo, taken last night by Ella as I blew out the candles on my homemade birthday brownies at Christine’s & Bernard’s house. As I mentioned yesterday, we were invited over to share in the pizza bounty, Bernard having made something like 300 pizzas and the family needing help eating them. Let me just say they were delicious, especially the salmon/mushroom pizza.
Let me ALSO say that Christine’s brownies are phenomenal. No, wait. What’s even better than phenomenal? Miraculous? Unparalleled? Because that’s what they are. Chloe told me that I should ask for the recipe, given it was my birthday. So as we ate pizza I said to Christine, “Chloe would like you to give to her your brownie recipe as a birthday present to me.” Christine deftly deflected the request.
On the subject of last night’s dinner, as if pizza & brownies weren’t enough, Bernard made chocolate mousse. There were three candles sticking out of the mousse and four with the brownies. Christine announced I was either 34 or 43 or 4 + 3 or I behave like I’m 4 – 3 or something. Of course I insisted that everyone sing.
Andy Smallman 
As a choclaholic, IF you get that recipe would you please send it to me!!
I notice we Americans keep calling your ‘brownies’ cupcakes. They do not look like what we think of as brownies. Since you are indicating they are spectacular how do you compare them to what we think of as brownies. It doesn’t sound like we will ever get Christine’s recipe – darn it. I would love to try it. However seldom can you make a recipe turn out like anyone else’s.
The best way to answer is to say it is Christine’s delicious brownie batter cooked in small muffin tins, thus giving them the look of small cupcakes (but with no frosting). When eaten, the tops have a slight crust texture, like a cookie, and the bottoms are perfectly moist and gooey (but not undercooked).
They sound wonderful. So if Christine ever gives in to sharing her recipe we would love it! Don’t you have a special ‘in’ with her?
Bonne anniversaire (belated)!
Pizza in France is the best.
Was yours super thin crusted like matzo?
This was homemade pizza so not the super thin crust you find in restaurants. It was DELICIOUS. I, too, like the super thin crusts but sometimes a doughier one is just what I want.