A Bowl of Brownies

DEAR SOS: After an especially fine meal at the Peppercorn Duck Club in the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Crown Center, Kansas City, Mo., we were brave (or dumb) enough to search out its famed chocolate dessert bar. I can only describe what we ate as a souffle cake-pudding served from a steam table with two sauces. This description does no justice to the dessert, trust me. Any chance of Peppercorn Duck sharing?

--BILL

DEAR BILL: It’s called brownie pudding, and readers will thank you. Trust me.

PEPPERCORN DUCK BROWNIE PUDDING

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

1 cup flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter

1 ounce unsweetened chocolate

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 cup hot strong coffee or water

Combine 3/4 cup granulated sugar, flour, baking powder and salt in medium bowl. Melt butter and chocolate over low heat. Add to dry ingredients with milk and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth. Add nuts. Pour into greased 8-inch square pan.

Combine remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar and cocoa powder. Sprinkle over batter. Pour coffee or water over top to cover completely. Do not stir. Bake at 350 degrees 40 minutes.

Makes 6 servings.

Each serving contains about:

572 calories; 413 mg sodium; 43 mg cholesterol; 31 grams fat; 73 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams protein; 1.29 grams fiber.

Bourbon Dogs

DEAR SOS: I want to share a wonderful recipe for bourbon wieners I obtained from a great little cookbook called “When the Dinner Bell Rings,” from the Talladega (Ala.) Junior League.

--PATTI

DEAR PATTI: Thanks. They are supremely simple and wonderful.

SMOKEY BOURBON WIENERS

1 cup bourbon

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 cup chile sauce

3 pounds wieners, cut into 1-inch pieces

Combine bourbon, brown sugar and chile sauce in baking dish. Add wieners and mix to coat well. Bake at 300 degrees 2 hours.

Makes 25 servings. Each serving contains about:

195 calories; 582 mg sodium; 20 mg cholesterol; 12 grams fat; 12 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams protein; 0 fiber.

Reprising Muffins

DEAR SOS: Please send me the recipe for zucchini muffins that ran in your column in 1992.

--DOROTHY

DEAR DOROTHY: Gladly. These are credited to Lori Swartz, a fine baker.

LORI SWARTZ’S ZUCCHINI MUFFINS

3 cups grated zucchini

1 1/2 cups oil

3 cups flour

3 cups sugar

4 eggs

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 cup chopped nuts

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Combine zucchini and oil in large bowl. Add flour, sugar, eggs, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nuts, allspice and nutmeg. Mix until just blended. Turn into 30 well-greased or paper-lined muffin cups. Bake at 350 degrees until wood pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.

Makes 30 muffins.

Each serving contains about:

254 calories; 70 mg sodium; 28 mg cholesterol; 14 grams fat; 30 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams protein; 0.13 gram fiber.