The BEST Grilled Cheese.

Remember I spoke briefly about my university bakery in a blog post not too long ago? I feel I should elaborate a bit. So, my university is known as the College of Food, and that means it houses a lot of creative students interested in the hospitality industry, and there are courses that have a particular focus, like Bakery and Confectionary - courses like those are responsible for stocking the uni bakery on an almost daily basis. And before you ask about whether this is slave labour - haha - it's a way for the students to practice certain skills, a way for them to understand more about the commercial side of what they're studying and a way for us (uni students and the general public) to get some really good baked goods for extra cheap. So I utilise this resource on an almost weekly basis. And it led me to make this awesome grilled cheese with one of my purchases.

SWEET POTATO BROWNIES x TAKING RISKS

"Good things come to those who weight."

Bored on a very quiet Easter-Eve-Thursday-night, I thought I'd utilise a few things in my kitchen cupboard again and attempt to make sweet potato brownies. Now, I have no scales at home, which makes making successful baked goods an almost impossible task. Regardless, PMS'y Christina was feeling like she needed some choccy goodness, and so, the trial went on.

It started with me throwing three sticky medjool dates into a blender, with a tablespoon of crunchy peanut butter, a tablespoon of tahini, two tablespoons of honey, one tablespoon of brown sugar, three heaped tablespoons of cocoa powder and the contents of two small roasted sweet potatoes about (350 to 400 grams). I added two eggs, and about 100ml of almond milk. After a quick whizz on the blender, I combined the contents with four large heaped tablespoons of self-raising flour, and a large pinch of salt. I then added two tablespoons of sunflower oil, and gave the whole thing a really good mix. Desperate for a change in consistency, I threw in about 50g of semi sweet chocolate chips at the last minute. I then poured the mixture (more like scooped because it was thick as) into an oiled 12 inch by 12 inch pyrex dish and cooked these bad boys at 200C for about half an hour.

The result was a brownie which could only be described as fudgy. No cakey-ness at all. Tastes like healthy chocolate fudge, if that makes sense. They taste slightly earthy down to the presence of potato, but very decadent because of the heaviness the sweet potato provides, which gives these brownies their fudgy texture. They were definitely best served warm, they melt in the mouth and the chocolate chunks add a nice bit of variety in so you never have a boring bite. This recipe made about 16 small square brownies, but could be cut into 9 bigger ones.

In the future I'd probably add a bit of baking powder in so they have the opportunity to rise a bit more, and maybe add some chopped nuts in for more texture. 

These brownies weren't a total success, but I'm glad I got up and tried them out. The thing that got me into the kitchen in the first place, the thing that helped me do so well on placement in a professional kitchen, and the thing that continues to challenge me almost daily in the kitchen is experimentation. It allows me to be my most creative, and I find bliss, and peace in that. If you want to grow as a chef, you need to experiment. If you want to grow as a person, you need to experiment, in all aspects of life. Maybe not experiment, but more "taking risks". 

I'd give it a try if you're in the mood for something new, or if you're a fudgy brownie person and you're in dire need of a fix.

I hope you enjoyed the more laid back approach to this style of recipe, it was definitely more of an experimental baking session, so the measurements were more by eye that by a legitimate measure.

Have fuuuuuun,

Christina x

WHY I STARTED WRITING

“Opportunities come to those who are consistent.”

– Tony A. Gaskins Jr.

In the beginning, I started with a passion, a deep desire to share, inspired by the words of modern artists - writers. Those that wrote with meaning, purpose; those that emote with each part of themselves they share.  

I thought it was a gift before that, something you could only acquire having lived a full life, having achieved all wanted, and the words coming to you like a horse drawn to water, like waves to a shoreline. I dreamed to be one of them. To think deeply.

The Lana Del Ray's of this world inspire me. Beautiful soul, free spirit. Her monologue in her single "Ride", I could listen to a thousand times over. It's that art I want to create, that's exactly what I want.

I am still realising this gift. The resources I have to create something beautiful, the opportunities I have in front of me, and the ability I possess that allows me to articulate something in a particular way and share it in the hopes of it being read, and understood - and in most cases it is. I now write with the intention to eradicate that fear - self-doubt - to live to encourage myself and others to live their best life and do it wholeheartedly. No inbetweenness. No half measures. 

I lost my way a bit when I began blogging. I want to get back to where I was.