Every now and then, I come across an interesting cemetery discovery that leads me somewhere unexpected.
This time, it was a brownie recipe with a rather unusual location. After learning a little about the woman behind it, I knew I had to give it a try!
Columbarium niche of Natalee Pyatt. Photo by Reddit user xpatnola.
Natalee Lisa Pyatt was born in Hammond, Louisiana, grew up in Mandeville, and considered New Orleans home.1 She worked at Chaffe McCall for 13 years, where she became known as the “birthday fairy” for organizing celebrations and making special occasions memorable.1 She was also an animal lover and one of the first volunteers at the Aquarium of the Americas, where she especially enjoyed working at the touch pool.1
Outside of work, Natalee loved cooking, baking, and giving thoughtful gifts. Her rum balls and brownies were favourites among family and friends.1
In a Reddit discussion about Natalee’s memorial, her husband, Milan, shared that she had kidney disease and had been on dialysis for the final four and a half years of her life.2 He mentioned that she also had a short bout of COVID during that time. Despite everything, he described her as brave, saying she never complained and continued to take care of the nurses who looked after her.²
Milan also thanked everyone for their kind comments and for taking an interest in Natalee’s story. He explained that she was a very unassuming person who wouldn’t have wanted a fuss made over her, but he was touched by the response.2 Someone had shared a photo of her columbarium niche at Metairie Cemetery in New Orleans, where a laminated copy of her brownie recipe was attached.
Milan explained that he had added the recipe to her marker after the QR code originally used to share it had expired.2 When people asked for the recipe, he was happy to share it and encouraged everyone to keep Natalee’s memory alive by making her brownies.²
One thing I noticed while researching Natalee is that the cemetery information on Find a Grave doesn’t match the information provided in her obituary. I’m hoping to connect with a few fellow Find a Grave volunteers to look into the discrepancy and hopefully get the information sorted out.
Here is the recipe, just as it appears on the original copy:
Natalee’s Famous Brownies
- Two boxes Betty Crocker Supreme Triple Chunk brownie mix
- 1/2 cup tap water
- 2/3 cup Crisco vegetable oil
- Five large eggs (preferably at room temperature)
- Two cups Nestle’s Toll House milk chocolate morsels
Instructions:
1) Preheat the oven 350 degrees.
2) Spray a 9 x 13 metal pan (or two 8×8 pans) with Pam non-stick spray, set aside.
3) In a large mixing bowl – crack open the five eggs. Whisk until thoroughly blended. Whisk in the oil and water.
4) Add the dry ingredients and chocolate morsels, and mix well. No dry pockets in the batter!
5) Pour the batter into the sprayed brownie pan(s). Bake for 50 minutes. It’s done when a toothpick comes out clean. If not, give it an extra 5 to 10 minutes. No more!
6) Let cool on a cooling rack. The brownies may shrink from the sides. When the pan is slightly warm (not hot) cover with aluminum foil. Crimp the edges to preserve the moisture.
Note: Can be done a day in advance, especially if planning to ship. These brownies freeze well – cut into squares and save for a rainy day! For variety, substitute white chocolate chips or Reese’s peanut butter chips for the milk chocolate.
Thank you for keeping her alive in your heart!
Close up of gravestone recipe for Natalee’s famous brownies. Photo by Reddit user xpatnola.
In the Kitchen
Finding all the ingredients turned out to be a bit of a challenge. I’ve found that this happens fairly often with cemetery recipes from the United States, as some brands and products aren’t as easy to find here in Canada.
I couldn’t find Crisco vegetable oil, so I used Walmart’s brand instead. Betty Crocker Supreme Triple Chunk brownie mix was also unavailable, so I picked up Betty Crocker’s Chocolate Chunk mix, hoping it was the closest Canadian equivalent. I couldn’t find Nestle’s Toll House milk chocolate morsels either, so regular store-brand chocolate chips would have to do. I felt better about this substitution since the recipe did mention swapping the chocolate chips out for variety.
The recipe calls for two cups of chocolate chips, which seemed like a lot! I almost decided to use less, but the bag I bought contained just under two cups, so I went ahead and used all of it. The brownie mix already contains chocolate morsels, too, so there was no shortage of chocolate!
The recipe was easy to put together. I mixed everything until there were no dry pockets left and poured the batter into a greased 9×13 pan. I didn’t have any Pam spray, though, so I just oiled the pan instead.
With all that chocolate, I expected these brownies to be pretty rich. I was also curious to see how much they would rise. I had skipped buying other sweets during my grocery trip because I knew I was making these, and I was already looking forward to having one with a cold glass of milk!
After 50 minutes, I tested them with a toothpick, and they were done. No extra baking time needed. I turned off the oven, moved the pan to the stove, and let the brownies cool a little before cutting myself a piece. I probably could have let them cool longer, but I just couldn’t wait.
They were delicious!
Surprisingly, they weren’t quite as rich as I expected, although they were definitely sweet. One thing I noticed was that the chocolate chunks had settled at the bottom of the pan. I’m not sure if there’s a way to prevent that, but it didn’t take away from the taste.
These brownies go really well with a cold glass of milk, as predicted. The recipe also makes a generous batch, so there’s plenty to share with family and friends. I think they’d be a great addition to a family get-together, especially with the holidays coming up.
They’re also just the thing when you’re craving something chocolate!
It was fun trying Natalee’s brownies and learning a little more about her through the stories shared by her husband. I think Milan’s invitation to keep her memory alive by making the recipe is a really sweet way to remember her.
Thanks for reading!
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