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Published 27 August 2021 by Collins234
Could chocolate make you smarter?
Can it improve heart health or maybe even lower cholesterol? Ahhh, maybe.
Numerous studies have aimed to test the theories that chocolate has potential health benefits. Almost all agree that dark chocolate is the way to go, but probably more critical than the type of chocolate you eat is how much you enjoy it. If you can revel in your chocolatey treat, and preferably share it, you’ll undoubtedly be gaining some mental health benefits from this ancient fermented food that we can all use right now.After all, chocolate seems to be associated with lower levels of depressive symptoms (again, particularly dark chocolate) and it’s an ingredient guaranteed to inspire even the most reluctant cooks to get involved in the making.
So, whether you’re baking looks more like an episode of “Nailed It” than MasterChef, we think a simple, foolproof chocolate basic like brownies is the way to go. This recipe from beloved Victorian – Kirsten Tibballs’ book “Chocolate” is an absolute winner. You can even keep them in the freezer for up to a month (if they last that long)!
Kirsten Tiballs’ Brownies
These brownies are perfect to eat on their own, or you can eat them warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of salted caramel.
Difficulty: Easy
Serves: 32
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients
- 115g unsalted butter
- 230g good-quality dark chocolate, chopped
- 100g caster sugar
- 100g soft brown sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 80g plain flour
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 tbs Dutch cocoa powder
- Pinch of salt
- 90g good-quality milk chocolate chips
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 170°C.
2. Grease a 18cm x 27cm brownie pan with oil spray before lining the base and sides with baking paper.
3. Melt butter and 230g dark chocolate in a double boiler or in a heatproof plastic bowl in the microwave. Cool slightly.
4. In a separate bowl, combine the two sugars, the eggs and vanilla, and whisk by hand to combine. Add butter and chocolate mixture, then sift over dry ingredients and fold them through the mixture to gently combine.
5. Finely chop the milk chocolate and remaining 90g dark chocolate and add them to the brownie mixture.
6. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes or until crusty on top and soft in the centre. Leave brownies to cool in the pan, then turn out onto a wire rack.
7. Once cool, cut into 4cm squares. Yum!
Source: delicious.com.au
A sanity saving tip for baking with little ones!
Trying to cook with kids stuck in the house? We hear you. But, if you’ve seen toddlers whipping up a storm on YouTube and wondered how on earth you even get your junior chef to successfully scramble an egg, there’s some good advice out there to make your family cooking dreams less stressful.
The first trick to get kids of all ages helping out in the kitchen is to take it step by step. As this little clip shows, start with a simple task and then add to the complexity bit by bit. That might mean slowly increasing the involvement of your little one each time. You can start with every ingredient measured out and just allow them to mix it all together to begin with. But in a few weeks they could be cracking eggs, setting timers and measuring ingredients like a pro.
Call Dymocks on 9663 0900 to order Kirsten Tibballs’ book or other chocolate lover’s books to help get your happy vibes flowing.
