Brownies

MOFO EPISODE 3: BROWNIES

When faced with an impossible occurrence that is in fact occurring it is necessary to downgrade said occurrence from 'impossible' to at least 'highly improbable'. Good Doctor Peabody was downgrading his beliefs about people stumbling past CHESTT's camouflage defenses this very moment.

"Far out!", repeated the unexpected visitor. His eyes widened in wonder as he surveyed the large room that had been pseudoscientifically disguised as a port-o-potty. On the outside at least. "How'd you guys fit all this space in here? And do you live here or what?"

"It's ... uh ... complicated.", Peabody replied. "I'm Good Doctor Peabody. And you are?"

"Tommy. Hey, I'm supposed to give you these!" Tommy held out a string of beads. "Love beads man. Oh yeah and I'm supposed to tell you to use them to jump the gap."

"So what you're saying is ... you are to give me beads which I can use somehow. Even though you just met me and aren't supposed to be here anyway."

"You got it. Hey, can I get those brownies now?"

"Excuse me?", questioned Peabody.

"Brownies. You told me I could have brownies. I got the munchies."

"O..K... Sherman, can I see you a minute?" Peabody waived his young companion over. Whispering now. "I have an idea. Usually CHESTT breaks down foods to generate recipes. If I can reverse that, feed in a recipe,  it is possible we can 'whip up' some brownies and send our friend Tommy on his way while he will still believe his experience to be a drug induced hallucination. Fewer complications."

"Where's my brownies man?"

"They're coming. They're coming. No worries.

"Special brownies?"

"Oh very special indeed." Peabody took a printout off the old-fashioned dot matrix printer CHESTT had been fitted with.

Non-dairy Eggless Brownies
16 Brownies
[ from www.dianasdesserts.com - I wanted the brownies from New Farm, but my copy is in storage. This recipe is similar. Love the wallpaper paste egg replacer!]

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup water
1/2 cup non-dairy margarine
2/3 cup cocoa powder
2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/180 degrees C. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with non-dairy margarine, or you may also use vegetable oil to grease the pan or spray pan with vegetable cooking spray.

2. Combine 1/3 cup of the flour with water in a medium saucepan. Cook on medium heat untill thick, stirring constantly. Set mixture aside to cool completely.

3. Melt margarine and stir in the cocoa powder.

4. Sift together the remaining 2 cups flour with the baking powder.

5. Beat sugar, salt, and vanilla into the cooled flour mixture, then add the melted butter/cocoa mixture.

6. Add the above mixture to the sifted flour/baking powder mixture. Add chopped nuts, if desired.

7. Spoon batter into prepared baking pan and bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Let brownies cool in pan. Cut into squares when cooled completely. If desired, dust with confectioners' sugar. 

"Coming right up, Tommy!" Peabody fed the printout into a slot, and after several minutes of knob twirling and switch toggling  held a perfect pan of brownies.

He presented them to Tommy with a flourish. "Here you are then.  And off you go!"

"Gee, thanks man. You know you're pretty cool for a dude who lives in a toilet."

"Yes, yes. Now run along! Farewell!" Peabody pushed Tommy through the front door. "Now, Sherman, we must take our leave as well. The last thing we need are a bunch of 'Tommys' looking to meet the people in the toilet!"

"But where are we going to go?"

"I still haven't managed to eat breakfast. When I think breakfast, I think ..." Gratuitous dramatic pause. "MICHIGAN!"

... TO BE CONTINUED