So my essays are finally finished, handed in and I have time to blog again! So I'm finally sharing some recipes, photos and general stuff from about three weeks ago. Hope you enjoy.
Firstly, my chocolate brownie recipe as hinted at before. These were made in a hurry before going home for the weekend the following day (also made again this past Sunday as they were so yummy). My Nan - baker Number One of the Brothers' family - has given them her seal of approval, so trust me and get on with baking them. Soon!
Yummy raw brownie mix...
... and the final product. Mmmm.
*Makes twelve very decent-sized brownies*
100g plain flour
Basically 2-3 big tbsp cocoa powder (Cadbury's Bournville powder is perfect for baking)
3 eggs
1tsp vanilla extract
300g caster sugar (although I only used 250g the second time and they were just as good)
175g butter/marge
White chocolate buttons (Sainsburys' sell handy 70g bags really cheaply - 2 of these bags in the brownie mix was just right)
1. Preheat oven to 170'. Gently melt your butter in a saucepan until liquid, before pouring into a mixing bowl with the caster sugar, mixing well. Add vanilla essence and mix again
2. Measure out your flour/cocoa and stir into the butter/sugar (the mix will go gorgeously thick and chocolatey at this point)
3. Now crack in your 3 eggs, one at a time, stirring in thoroughly. Finally, mix your chocolate buttons in and pour into a baking-paper-lined oven-proof tin
4. Bake for about 20mins (depending how gooey or firm you'd like your brownies to be; the longer you bake them the firmer they'll become). Don't worry if the top bakes dry; the middle stays really moist, especially where the chocolate buttons are lurking
I hope you enjoy these anyway - tasty and intensely chocolatey brownies that are cheap (the baking ingredients, once you have them, last ages and are very cheap) as well as incredibly quick and easy to make for a week's satisfied snacking. I actually found that the brownies lasted for a week in an airtight plastic container and still tasted perfect.
*
Finally, on being at home. It was lovely being back, seeing my family as well as kitten Smudge again (as you'll see below, she's gorgeous), blackberrying for the last time this year by the Stotfold cemetery and being treated for dinner at The Horse and Jockey in Ravensden. Anyway, I'll show you some pictures I took and tell you a bit about everything.
My lovely bedroom view at home. Whatever time of the year it is, I get fantastic coral pink sunsets through my window that I always appreciate.
My kitten Smudge - photographed on here for the first time, I think - having a rare moment of peace on my bed with my slipper. Christened "the mad thing" by my sister, these cuddly moments before she falls asleep are much appreciated by my exhausted family! While I was home, she hid my shoes - which are actually heavier than her at present - constantly behind the sofa etc., making my leaving the house a real problem. Below, there she is again, interrupting my Mum, sister and myself on our girlie Saturday night watching Strictly. Such pretty eyes and unusual patterns on her little face! She's still only about as big as my size 4 feet here.
Ooh, and there's a picture of my homemade (and half home-picked) blackberry and cherry crumble. It's covered in custard which makes seeing it all a bit difficult, but trust me, it was good. I'm sure my sister will tell you her crumble is better (it's really her 'thing') but I think this one made a pretty good match.
Basically, to make a crumble serving 6 people you need:
75g butter/marge
225g plain flour
100g brown sugar
*
150g washed blackberries
150g frozen cherries (already pitted)
Some tbsp white sugar (about 4? Adjust to taste)
Preheat oven to 180'. Simply mix up with a fork (or your fingers) the crumbly topping ingredients until you are left with a golden yellow breadcrumb-like crumble. Set aside, mix your washed fruit in an ovenproof dish before adding a few tablespoons of white sugar to it (evening out the tart acidity with some sweetness). Finally, stir, then top with your crumble and leave to bake in an oven for about 40mins until golden and crispy.
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Finally, my dinner with the family at the Horse and Jockey pub-restaurant in Ravensden. My first meal there and certainly not my last, I hope. Wonderful food (I had pan-fried pidgeon, roasted pork belly and then a zingy lemon-chocolate cup for dessert) and wine, great service and a beautiful little pub in general. Apparently it's recently been voted pub of the year and I can see why. Definitely try it for a treat sometime - it's getting five stars from me.
*****
And after being at home, coming back to see Canterbury in fully-fledged autumn was lovely, especially being up at my university on top of the hill. Think orange-golden leaves beneath your feet and breathing in crisp, cool air.
Hope you enjoyed all my ramblings.
Maddie
