Addictive Triple Chocolate Brownies

Thursday 29 August 2013


Who doesn't love brownies? They're the most addictive chocolate treat you could ever bake and here is a recipe adapted from BBC Good Food using all three yummy types of chocolate (dark, milk and white).

You will need:
185g unsalted butter
185g dark chocolate
85g plain flour
40g cocoa powder
50g milk chocolate
50g white chocolate
3 large eggs
275g caster sugar

Melt the butter and dark chocolate in a bowl on top of a saucepan filled slightly with hot water. Once the butter and chocolate have melted, remove the bowl from the pan. Leave the mixture to cool to room temperature.


While you are waiting for your chocolate mixture to cool, pre-heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4 and line a tin that's roughly 20cm square (don't worry if your tin isn't this size because mine wasn't either). Sift the plain flour and cocoa powder in a large bowl.


Chop the milk chocolate and white chocolate into chunks ready to add to the mixture later.


Mix together the eggs and caster sugar with an electric mix until the mixture is thick and creamy. Pour the cooled chocolate mixture over the egg mixture and fold together.  


Gently fold in the cocoa and flour mixture and finally stir in the milk and white chocolate chunks.


Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for roughly 25 minutes. Wait for the huge brownie to cool completely in the tin before cutting your brownies into whatever shape you fancy.


Perfect for friends and family!

My 21st: Party

Wednesday 28 August 2013




We had a little family party for my birthday last weekend with a vintage theme, champagne, Pimms, lots of food, chatter and giggles!

My 21st: Loch Fyne Seafood & Grill

Monday 26 August 2013


My boyfriend treated me to dinner at Loch Fyne Seafood & Grill in Reading for my birthday... Excellent service and lots of tasty fish. I had the tempura battered squid to start and my boyfriend had the chilli and garlic prawns.


We both went for the king prawn masala and it was delicious.


Something smells fishy!

My 21st: Afternoon Tea at Ladurée, Harrods

Saturday 24 August 2013


It was my 21st birthday this week (very scary) and a trip to Ladurée was the perfect treat. The Parisian tearoom in Harrods offers an afternoon tea for £27.50 per person (see menu here), full of sweet pastries and macaroons. You weren't allowed to take photos, but here are my sneaky ones...



My dream world and new favourite place! 
 



A velvet Ferrari... Wow (show off).


We brought home the leftovers as we were beginning to feel a little bit sick after numerous pastries, and we purchased some macaroons in a posh pink box.


Champagne time!


My build-a-bag vintage satchel from my boyfriend...
  

A vintage magazine from my sister...


Let the birthday celebrations continue!

Bournemouth Beach Baby

Friday 23 August 2013


A day trip to sunny Bournemouth this week for fish and chips, ice cream and sunbathing on the beach.

Speedy Chocolate Chip Muffins

Monday 19 August 2013


It was my sister's AS level results day last week (I knew she would do well as she's a smarty pants), so I thought what better way to treat her than some freshly baked chocolate chip muffins. My only opportunity to bake the muffins was when my sister was out having her hair cut, so that's where they get their 'speedy' name from. I adapted this recipe from Channel 4 Food.

You will need:
250g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate soda
4 tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
100g caster sugar
1 large egg
250ml milk
90ml vegetable oil
75g plain chocolate chips (either pre-made or broken up yourself for bigger chunks)
Icing sugar for dusting

Pre-heat the oven to 190C/fan 170C/Gas 5 and place 10 paper cases into a muffin tray. Mix together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cocoa powder and salt, stirring in the sugar and chocolate chips.


Beat together the egg and milk, adding the oil to mix before combining the wet and dry ingredients. There's no need to use an electric whisk or over-mix as you want the batter to still be lumpy. 


Spoon the mixture into the cases and bake for 20-25 minutes.


Your muffins will rise and crack with glimpses of the melted chocolate chips, mouth watering. Once the muffins have cooled you can either dust them with icing sugar or eat them straight away.


 The quickest thing I've ever baked from scratch!