Chocolatey, nutty, and baked with lots of love...
This simple family recipe never fails to delight the taste buds and bring people together, making it the perfect sweet treat for any occasion!
To many, brownies are just another amateur dessert, one that even a child could make. Nowadays, most people would rather buy a box of brownie mix than go through the trouble of creating it from scratch. However, to Elizabeth, the joy of baking brownies is a reminder of her loving mother, who brightened the world around her with her desserts.
From Generation to Generation...
It’s easy to disregard the stories behind the dishes we come across online. After all, who’s going to think twice about the care that went into that carbonara recipe they found on Google? The best recipes, however, represent more than just a collection of ingredients and instructions - they have a way of taking on a personality of their own, becoming a delicious depiction of a cherished memory.
In this case, that memory is of Betty Taylor, and her famous keepsake brownies.
Elizabeth “Betty” Taylor was a loving sister, wife, and mother of five children. As a homemaker, she cooked, cleaned, and went out of her way to spread positivity whenever possible. Her love of baking was one of the many ways she spread this positivity, not just to her family, but to the rest of the world as well. Over the years, she became well known for her brownies, baking them for holidays, family gatherings, and even giving them as thank you gifts to the people in her life, from family friends to hairdressers.
When Betty passed away, her daughter Elizabeth inherited a priceless family heirloom: an index card, yellowed and stained from decades gone by, its edges
frayed and creased like an old treasure map. This map led to a prize much more valuable than gold; a simple recipe for brownies, forever capturing Betty’s memory.
Sweet Memories
Memories and food often seem to go hand in hand… from the taste of delicious home-cooked meals, to the novel experience of our first stadium hot dog, it seems we constantly look toward our taste buds to remind us of the past. For Elizabeth and her family, that remains especially true. Betty’s memory stays close, in the form of a single old index card, proudly framed and displayed in Elizabeth's kitchen.
On holidays and special occasions, Elizabeth continues her mother’s legacy by cooking up a few batches of Betty’s legendary keepsake brownies for family and friends alike. The perfect combination of walnuts and chocolate brings back fond memories in the Taylor family, reminding them of the care and love their mother put into everything she did for them.
Not only are keepsake brownies delicious, they represent the legacy of a dedicated mother and friend to many. By sharing her recipe, Elizabeth continues to keep Betty’s memory alive, spreading the joy of baking as though she were still with us today.
The Recipe
Ingredients
4 oz bitter chocolate
1 cup margarine
2 cups sugar
3 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup sifted flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
In a double boiler, melt chocolate and margarine. Once melted, remove from heat and add sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Mix well and add chopped walnuts.
In a separate bowl, combine salt and sifted flour. Gradually add dry ingredients, mixing well.
Pour into a greased 9″ square pan. Bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes.
Cool thoroughly, then cut into squares. Wait at least a couple of hours before you cut!
Enjoy!
Tip: Try topping your brownie with whipped cream, or add ice cream for a delicious brownie sundae!
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