Butterscotch Brownies And Mitford Snowmen

You might ask what do Butterscotch Brownies and Mitford Snowmen have in common.  Picture this…It is an overcast, crisp afternoon and you are curled up on the sofa with a book from the Mitford book series in hand and a steaming cup of hot tea in the other.  And sitting on the nearby table beside the cozy fireplace is a plate of butterscotch brownies. Sigh!  That is my idea of a perfect way to spend an afternoon in the Fall of the year.

Friends, I love to read and many years ago I started reading a book series based in Mitford NC.  You see it all started in the Christmas season of 1998 when a friend of mine gave me three of the cutest little 4 inch snowmen figurines with sticks for arms and sky blue mufflers and stocking caps.  Of course I thought they were adorable and when my friend asked if I knew who they were, I had to confess I did not.  She said they are Mitford Snowmen from the series of books written by Jan Karon about a fictional small town in North Carolina with a group of eccentric characters that most people can relate to.  She explained the novels are Christian-themed, and center on the life of the rector, Father Tim Kavanagh. I was immediately intrigued… as the books I had been reading of late were starting to get titillating as authors seemed to think readers wanted to read about sex and violence.   So I set about finding the first book which was titled:  “At Home in Mitford”.  It was written in 1994 and when I started reading, I could not put it down.   I ended up impatiently waiting for each new book to appear from Jan Karon so I could continue reading about the lives of all the wonderful characters in Mitford.  There are 15 books in the series with the last one being released a few days ago titled “My Beloved”….and yes, I am reading it now.

Let me tell you a little bit about the author, Jan Karon.  Jan wrote her first novel at the age of ten:…. “The manuscript was written on Blue Horse notebook paper, and was, for good reason, kept hidden from my sister. When she found it, she discovered the one curse word I had, with pounding heart, included in someone’s speech. For Pete’s sake, hadn’t Rhett Butler used that very same word and gotten away with it? After my grandmother’s exceedingly focused reproof, I’ve written books without cussin’ ever since.”

Several years ago, Karon left a successful career in advertising to move to the mountain village of Blowing Rock, North Carolina, and write books. “I stepped out on faith to follow my lifelong dream of being an author,” she says. “I made real sacrifices and took big risks. But living, it seems to me, is largely about risk.” Once settled into her new home, she had attempted to write a story, but decided it was not what she wanted to say and was beginning to see her dream of writing novels be just a pipe dream.  Then one night she awoke from her sleep because she could picture a short, balding, older man walking down the street of a very small town. In her minds eye, the man turned around and he had a white priest collar around his neck…. and so Father Tim Kavanagh was born. She started writing that very night as the storyline spilled onto the pages of her old typewriter.    However, after writing several chapters, she wasn’t convinced there was a market for a book without sex, violence or vulgar language. She had her doubts even about the story being well received by her community of friends and neighbors, much less the world outside of her newly adopted home of Blowing Rock.  Encouraged by her friends and publisher, she continued her writing about the small town with a big heart.  Below are the books from the series and their publish dates.  Perhaps you have read one or two? If you haven’t read them, they will make you fall in love with the going’s on of a small town.  

• At Home in Mitford (1994)
• A Light in the Window (1995)
• These High, Green Hills (1996)
• Out to Canaan (1997)
• A New Song (1999)
• A Common Life: The Wedding Story (2001)
• In This Mountain (2002)
• Shepherds Abiding (2003)
• Light from Heaven (2005)
• Home to Holly Springs (2007)
• In the Company of Others (2010)
• Somewhere Safe with Somebody Good (2014)
• Come Rain or Come Shine (2015)
• To Be Where You Are (2017)
• My Beloved (2025)

Now…. one can not read a good book and not have a snack can one?. (Well I can’t anyway)  This recipe is old…and has been in my recipe tin for about 40-50 years. (I must have been a child when I acquired this recipe.) 😉🤣

These Butterscotch Brownies are perfect for Fall as they actually are the colors of Autumn.  At least I think they are.

The taste of a Butterscotch Brownie can be described as Rich, Sweet, Buttery, and Slightly Smoky, with hints of Molasses, Vanilla and a touch of saltiness. Add in the pecans and chocolate chips and you have nutty notes with the classically chocolate flavor of the little brown morsels. Yummy!

Recipe Below:

Blessings Always

 

 You, LORD, are my lamp; the LORD turns my darkness into light. 2 Samuel 22:29