My 6 year old would happily spend hours discussing and debating her favourite foods.
There is a scene in her Enid Blyton bedtime story where the children visit the magical Land of Birthdays and, at the empty birthday table, the guests get to wish for exactly what they please and it magically appears before them.
Her eyes were like saucers as she imagined how delightful that would be and she reeled off a long list of 'junk' foods that would grace her table!
Then she asked me what I'd wish for. Obviously when I said sprouts and salmon she vetoed these as against the rules of the game.
So I said brownies. Along with chocolate, they are definitely a food I will never spurn. I like them with nuts, without nuts, squidgy, firm, with sweet potato, baked or raw!
So much talk of brownies suddenly overwhelmed me with the desire to eat one (the perils of Enid Blyton). Luckily, the fact I can only eat a brownie if I go to the effort of actually making a batch at least allows the time to digest that desire and assess whether it is just fleeting. In this case it wasn't budging.
Anyway, today I choose to view it as a lesson in mindfulness and delayed gratification.
These ones were cobbled together with what was already in the kitchen - I wasn't desperate enough to go food shopping!
Simple Fudgy Brownie
Grain-free, Gluten-free, Dairy-free, refined Sugar-free, Nut-free
Makes 8 (or 10 less greedy pieces!)
Ingredients:
4 large eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa or cacao powder
1/3 cup milled flax/linseed (omit if intolerant; works fine without but is even fudgier and less cakey; can also sub almond meal if not nut intolerant)
1 ripe banana, mashed
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
(optional 2-3tbsp honey or maple syrup - omit if on any sugar detox or prefer to avoid any extra sweetener. I find it delicious without but then I happily eat 95% cocoa chocolate which not many others do)
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees celsius, 350 degrees farenheit.
2. Line a loaf tin with baking parchment.
3. Mix all ingredients together until very well combined, in a food processor, or in a large mixing bowl by hand. If mixing by hand you may find the coconut oil hardens and forms lumps in the batter - if so, place the bowl over a gently simmering saucepan of water as if melting chocolate, which keeps the bowl warm and the coconut oil melted.
4. Pour the smooth batter into the prepared loaf tin, gently ensuring an even surface.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Skewer inserted into middle should come out clean.
6. Cool before slicing.
7. Lick bowl before children get their hands on it!
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| Simple Fudgy Brownie |
Her eyes were like saucers as she imagined how delightful that would be and she reeled off a long list of 'junk' foods that would grace her table!
Then she asked me what I'd wish for. Obviously when I said sprouts and salmon she vetoed these as against the rules of the game.
So I said brownies. Along with chocolate, they are definitely a food I will never spurn. I like them with nuts, without nuts, squidgy, firm, with sweet potato, baked or raw!
So much talk of brownies suddenly overwhelmed me with the desire to eat one (the perils of Enid Blyton). Luckily, the fact I can only eat a brownie if I go to the effort of actually making a batch at least allows the time to digest that desire and assess whether it is just fleeting. In this case it wasn't budging.
Anyway, today I choose to view it as a lesson in mindfulness and delayed gratification.
These ones were cobbled together with what was already in the kitchen - I wasn't desperate enough to go food shopping!
Simple Fudgy Brownie
Grain-free, Gluten-free, Dairy-free, refined Sugar-free, Nut-free
Makes 8 (or 10 less greedy pieces!)
Ingredients:
4 large eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa or cacao powder
1/3 cup milled flax/linseed (omit if intolerant; works fine without but is even fudgier and less cakey; can also sub almond meal if not nut intolerant)
1 ripe banana, mashed
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
(optional 2-3tbsp honey or maple syrup - omit if on any sugar detox or prefer to avoid any extra sweetener. I find it delicious without but then I happily eat 95% cocoa chocolate which not many others do)
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees celsius, 350 degrees farenheit.
2. Line a loaf tin with baking parchment.
3. Mix all ingredients together until very well combined, in a food processor, or in a large mixing bowl by hand. If mixing by hand you may find the coconut oil hardens and forms lumps in the batter - if so, place the bowl over a gently simmering saucepan of water as if melting chocolate, which keeps the bowl warm and the coconut oil melted.
4. Pour the smooth batter into the prepared loaf tin, gently ensuring an even surface.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Skewer inserted into middle should come out clean.
6. Cool before slicing.
7. Lick bowl before children get their hands on it!
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