They way to my heart is chocolate.

Lucky girl that I am, my neighbor signed me up for Bon Appetit when they were offering a 2 for 1 deal.

The latest issue was all about Valentine desserts. What does that mean exactly?

Chocolate.

Lots and lots of chocolate.

Unfortunately for me, many of these chocolately recipes call for lots and lots of milk. And while my brain is telling me that just one dairy filled dessert won't do me harm, my body is screaming no.

Fortunately, I've found that being lactose-free does not mean I have to be completely chocolate free. Most dark chocolates don't contain any dairy and, honestly, they taste so much better to me now that my palate appreciates 60%+ cacao bars.

On the cover of this Valentine edition of Bon Appetit was a picture of decadent, chewy, totally indulgent brownies. As I flipped through the pages, I crossed my fingers the recipe would be Suz friendly.

As you can see from the label on this post, they are indeed lactose free!

Before I move on to the recipe, I just want to take a brief moment to tell all you chocolate lovers in Seattle of the most wonderful chocolate experience.

In Fremont (aka the Center of the Universe), a neighborhood in North Seattle, there is a wonderful chocolate factory called Theo Chocolates. Theo Chocolates is the only organic, fair trade, bean to bar factory in the entirety of the United States.

And you, my friend, can take a tour of said factory for only $5!!

What comes with this tour? A behind the scenes look at how chocolate bars are made AND unlimited samples of the best chocolate around.

If you are a true chocolate lover, you should skedaddle down to Fremont as soon as you are able.

Now, here's the brownie recipe I promised:

Bon Appetit's Cocoa Brownies with Browned Butter and Walnuts
Serves approximately: 16

Equipment:
Medium sauce pan
Foil
Cooking spray
8X8X2-inch metal baking pan

Ingredients:
10 Tb. (1 1/4 sicks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp. water
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs, chilled
1/3 cup plus 1 Tb. unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup walnut pieces

Position rack in bottom third of oven; preheat to 325 degrees. Line baking pan with foil, pressing foil firmly against pan sides and leaving a 2-inch overhang. Coat foil with cooking spray.

Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking until butter stops foaming and browned bits form on the bottom of the pan, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; immediately add sugar, cocoa, water, vanilla, and salt. Stir to blend. Let cool 5 minutes (mixture will still be hot).

Add eggs to hot mixture 1 at a time, beating vigorously to blend after each addition. when mixture looks thick and shiny, add flour and stir until blended. Beat vigorously for 60 strokes. Stir in nuts. Transfer batter to prepared pan.

Bake brownies until toothpick inserted into center comes out almost clean, about 25 minutes. Cool in pan on rack. Using foil overhang, lift brownies from pan. Cut into 4 strips and then cut crosswise into 4 brownies per strip.

Possible suggestions for tweaking the recipe:
- Use chocolate chips instead of nuts
- Allow to cool overnight before eating!! Seriously... they are way more fudgy and chewy on day 2.

Perfected

I never knew this was unusual until recently, but I have a close group of friends dating back to high school. We meet up as often as we can, though with our lives changing by the minute it now tends to be only once or twice a month.

One of my best friends from this group (though it's truly difficult to say any one of them is more my friend than any other) recently moved to Colorado to pursue a Ph.D in Physical Therapy. Her schedule has been crazy since she left for Denver; with time only for studying and the occasional visit to a local bar or pub for much needed mental breaks.

With a love for home cooked meals but educational time constraints, she's been focusing on perfecting recipes that are quick and easy. The following is her favorite which she taught to me over her Christmas break.

Anna's Butternut Squash and Sausage Soup
Serves approximately: 6

Equipment:
Large soup pot
Skillet

Ingredients:
8 cups chicken broth
2 T. olive oil
2 packages of frozen butternut squash
2 medium sized zucchinis
2 medium sized carrots
1 small onion
3-4 pre-cooked sausages
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp. nutmeg

Pour the chicken broth into the soup pot and turn on stove to medium. Grate carrots and add directly to the chicken broth along with the two packages of butternut squash.

Dice onion and zucchini. Pour oil into the skillet and turn heat to medium. Once oil is heated, add zucchini and onions and saute until onions are translucent.

While onions and zucchini are cooking, chop up the sausage to desired bite-sized pieces. Add to the onions and zucchini to warm them up. Add onions, zucchini and sausage all at once to the soup pot. Season with nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste.

Allow soup to simmer for 10-15 minutes and serve hot.