Guys, the world is a scary place right now.  There is so much happening, it’s hard to know where to look and what to do. From our dear friend Corona, to our suffering mental health, to racial protests; we are all feeling the weight of uncertainty on our shoulders.  It’s causing a lot of stress.

According to Teresa McKee, we don’t like uncertainty.  Our minds create anxiety which causes the brain to release hormones that generate fear.  Our bodies were designed this way because once upon a time we lived in caves and that was scary and we needed a mechanism to protect ourselves. Unfortunately, our brains and our bodies have not evolved {these thoughts are from her A Mindful Moment podcast, episode Living with Uncertainty.}

What do people do when they’re stressed?  They isolate themselves.  **Raises hand…  They also bake and eat junk food, so why not bake something with junk food in it?

Enter Tricia Yearwood and her amazing brownie recipe!  I’ve modified it because really, it’s cholesterol on a plate and it’s still good with half the bacon and half the potato chips.  Also, let’s face it, I’m eating the rest of the potato chips right out of the bag anyway…

Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray

4 slices of bacon

2 sticks unsalted butter

2 cups sugar

¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

4 large eggs

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips

1 ½ cups lightly crushed potato chips with ridges

 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with parchment, leaving a 3-inch overhang on all sides.  Spray with cooking spray.
2. Put the bacon in a medium skillet, then cook on medium high heat until crispy for about 10 minutes. Stir often. Remove the bacon and drain on paper towels.   Reserve the fat in the skillet.
3. Melt the butter in the skillet with the bacon grease over medium heat. Add the sugar and stir until it starts to dissolve, about a minute.
4. Beat together the cocoa powder, vanilla, baking powder, salt and eggs in a large bowl until smooth, then beat in the butter mixture. Add the flour and stir until just incorporated.  Stir in the chocolate chips, half of the bacon and 1 cup of the potato chips.  Scoop into the prepared baking pan and smooth with a spatula.  Sprinkle with the remaining bacon and chips, pressing them lightly onto the surface of the batter
5. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the brownies comes out with a few crumbs attached, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in the pan, then transfer to a cutting board and cut into 16 squares.

Don’t eat them all at once. You’ll make yourself sick.  Or what the hell?  Eat them all at once, the world is falling apart anyway.

xoxo