Finding Courage in Ina Garten’s Story... and Brownies

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Hi, I'm Brittany, I'm a chocoholic. I blame my mom, she passed it down to me. When I was little, I would always find dark chocolate hidden away in the deep recesses of the fridge/freezer. I also fondly remember when someone would gift her, or my dad and stepmom with a box of See's candy (CA chocolatier), sometimes it would include a menu saying which chocolate had which decadent filling and it was like literally being a kid in a candy store - so many choices! Now, I have a beautiful new tradition of getting See's with my mother-in-law every time she visits CA. Spreading the chocoholism!

Aside from chocolate, I also love memoirs, see my blog post: Yes, Chef! Autobiographies of Famous Chefs, Cooks and Foodies. A memoir that came out recently was Ina Garten's memoir Be Ready When the Luck Happens. Ina Garten is more than a culinary queen—she’s kind, personable, and an inspiration to many those dreamers out there that have hopes of a career pivot.

Ina didn’t grow up dreaming of running a specialty food store or becoming the queen of effortless entertaining. She spent her twenties doing something drastically different: writing nuclear energy policy at the White House. Yes, that White House. While she was great at her job, she found herself wanting a different path, something more fulfilling. At the age of 30—an age that so many of us associate with being "too late" for big changes—she took a leap of faith.

She bought a small specialty food store in Westhampton Beach, NY, called The Barefoot Contessa, and jumped feet first into the world of food. No formal culinary training, no guaranteed roadmap to success, just a deep love for cooking and the courage to make a change.

Owning a charming shop, or creating beautiful food, or curating experiences for people—it’s the stuff of daydreams.

Ina’s memoir is a reminder that it’s never too late to start over. She followed her curiosity and creativity, trusted her instincts, and followed a path that brought her joy—and, as it turns out, inspired millions of others in the process.

Her story also resonates because it’s not just about career reinvention. It’s about the courage to say, "This isn’t working for me," and to go after a life that feels authentic. She took risks, leaned into her passion, and built a life full of meaning, connection, and fabulous meals.

I’ve read her memoir twice now, and each time it hit differently. It’s a story of transformation, resilience, and the beauty of taking chances. And every time I finish it, it gives me the spark I need to continue the path that I'm on of sharing my recipes (and others) with the world.

Until I'm able to make this a full time gig, I’ll be baking her Outrageous Brownies, dreaming about what could be, and reminding myself to always keep a little butter on hand—just in case inspiration strikes.

Whenever I need a boost of courage or a reminder to keep going, I return to her story—and her recipes. Recently, while re-listening to her memoir, I decided to bake her iconic Outrageous Brownies. Ina says that they use to sell 1,000 of these a week in her shop, ONE THOUSAND! And, as we established at the beginning of this post, I love chocolate.

The recipe makes a huge batch (40 brownies!!), but since I don’t have a crowd to feed, I quartered it (and it still felt outrageous). Here’s my scaled-down version:

Quartered Outrageous Brownies Recipe

Ingredients:

• 4 oz (1 stick) unsalted butter

• 4 oz semisweet chocolate chips (for melting)

• 3 oz semisweet chocolate chips (for folding in)

• 1.5 oz unsweetened chocolate

• 2 medium eggs

• 1 tablespoon instant coffee granules

• ¾ tablespoon pure vanilla extract

• ½ cup + 1 tablespoon sugar

• ⅓ cup all-purpose flour

• ¼ teaspoon baking powder

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• ¾ cup chopped walnuts

Instructions:

1. Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Prepare an 8"x8" baking pan by buttering and flouring it, or line the pan with parchment paper and lightly spray with cooking spray.

2. Melt Chocolate and Butter: In a heatproof bowl set over simmering water (or a double boiler), melt the butter, 4 oz of semisweet chocolate chips, and unsweetened chocolate. Stir occasionally until smooth. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

3. Mix Wet Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, instant coffee granules, vanilla extract, and sugar until just combined. Do not overmix.

4. Combine Chocolate and Wet Mixtures: Slowly stir the melted chocolate mixture into the egg mixture. Allow it to cool to room temperature to prevent scrambling the eggs.

5. Prepare Dry Ingredients: In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Gently fold this into the cooled chocolate mixture.

6. Add Mix-Ins: Toss the remaining 3 oz of semisweet chocolate chips and walnuts with 1 tablespoon of flour (to prevent sinking). Fold these into the batter.

7. Bake the Brownies: Pour the batter into the prepared 8"x8" pan, spreading it evenly. Bake for 20 minutes, then gently rap the pan on the oven shelf to release any trapped air. Continue baking for another 10–12 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs. Do not overbake.

8. Cool and Slice: Allow the brownies to cool completely in the pan. For easier slicing, refrigerate the brownies for 30 minutes, then cut into 9 or 16 squares, depending on your preference.

This should yield about 4 large brownies or 16 brownie bites (perfect for a small but outrageous snack)!

I cut mine into bites, put them in a gallon freezer bag, and put them in the freezer for when the next chocolate hit is needed!

Do you ever dream of a career pivot? If so, what would your dream job be?