Friday, February 10, 2012

CHOCOLATE BROWNIES



I am a little stressed at the moment, it will pass, but we are on the move again, off to Shanghai at the end of March for a few years. I am excited, but with it comes lots of form filling and bureaucracy.

Anyway, I will expand on details, but for now I will offer you my solution to the stress!

I simply took some time out and retreated to my kitchen. An hour or so baking was just what I needed to relax. As I am trying to use up contents of fridge, freezer and cupboards I knew my choices were going to be limited to their contents.

After pulling some 70% chocolate from the back of the cupboard, I was saving it for a rainy day, and this seemed to be the very day I had been thinking about. So with a few other basics I was ready to bake up some chocolate brownies.

As soon as I could smell the chocolate melting in the bowl, I could feel my stress levels melting away with it. I was where I could chill out and shut out everything else.

With some therapeutic mixing helping the stress levels, it wasn't long before I was very happy and relaxed.

Soon the smell of the baking brownies filled the kitchen and I started to look forward to enjoying a nice cup of coffee and my first brownie of the batch.

28 minutes + cooling time = total happiness.



Once frosted I sat down to enjoy one. I had a new magazine, so all was well with the world.

RECIPE

150g unsalted butter (cubed)
225g dark chocolate
4 large eggs
300g golden caster sugar
1tsp vanilla essence
125 g plain flour
Pinch salt

Preheat oven 170c and line and grease a 20x30 cm cake tin
Melt butter and chocolate together in a heatproof bowl over simmering water, or alternatively in a microwave
When melted remove and stir until smooth and leave to cool

In a bowl whisk eggs, sugar and vanilla together
Add butter and chocolate and mix until combined

Pour into tin, level mixture and bake on middle shelf for 25-30 mins.

When top is cracking but it is still "squidgy" in the middle remove and cool in tin

It is now ready to eat. I decided to melt some more chocolate And drizzle it over brownie. I them mixed some icing sugar with orange juice and drizzled it too, then I swirled the two together. A nice finish but uneccesary.

Hope you can find relaxation in simply whipping up a batch of brownies.

6 comments:

Maria♥ said...

Baking is definitely a great therapy when your stressed. The brownies look delish and would definitely hit the spot. Good luck with everything :)

Maria
x

Kelly-Jane said...

How lovely, I really like your plate and mug too :)

Coby said...

Oh GOSH Jacqui, it feels like you only just got home again! You're an amazing woman, you seem to be taking it all in your stride. You're an expert at it I suppose. I don't know that even brownies (though boyo do they look delicious) would see me looking and sounding as calm as you:):) Will you still blog? I wish you good luck and bon voyage:):)

thecelticcookinshanghai said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
thecelticcookinshanghai said...

Coby almost 3 years we have been here! I fully intend to keep blogging perhaps including my travel and moving experiences. I will blog my intentions when I get it up and going

Coby said...

Gosh, 3 years? Is it really? Feels like only a few months! Time really has flown! I think blogging about both your travel and moving experiences would be great - from the likes of my own point of view, securely ensconsed in my usual surrounds - but it sounds like a push for the person actually requiring it of themselves (lol that would be you;)). Still, if you make sure you only do it when you feel the time is right for you, it would be lovely - and a great memory for you too:D Good luck with it ALL Jacqui!