I love the almost childlike innocence that comes alive in the presence of freshly-baked goods. As though the smell of warmed butter, eggs and flour awakens us from this adult life and we are once again young and carefree, kicking our legs happily beneath the table with a glass of milk in one hand and something sweet in the other.
Everything in moderation is the key, and though my glass domed cake stand sits forlornly empty most days, I find myself happy when I see it full, as though its populated state makes my house a cozy home.
It rained over the weekend and the weather cooled for the first time in weeks. Curled up on the couch, wrapped in a warm grey blanket, I craved to turn the dial of my oven and hear the whirr of my stand mixer. As with most dishes I cook, this came under the umbrella of using whatever I had in the house. Foraging through the cupboards I pulled together some blocks of dark chocolate and a lone honeycomb chocolate bar, sitting like a golden ticket in my pantry. Brownies seemed like the obvious answer.
Brownies are one of my favourites. What other cake is almost born to be eaten by hand, happily and unjudged? I also love that its chewy moistness seems to satisfy the spoon-licker in all of us.
I think there's something truly magical about the mix of chocolate and sea-salt. It makes cocoa seem richer, sweeter and opens your eyes further to the possibilities of seasoning your desserts. My brownies just couldn't be without a cheeky sprinkling of salt.
Fresh out of the oven, I burnt my fingers slightly in my rush to taste. The brownie crumbled elegantly in my mouth as flecks of sea-salt tickled my tongue. The rain hit the window behind me and there was honestly no place I would rather have been but all alone in my kitchen licking chocolate off my fingers. —Chryssie Lamb
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