Friday 7 November 2008

Panic and Brownies

I don't know about you, but I reckon that if you are going to break a New Year's resolution, you should do it properly by, metaphorically, slapping its arse whilst laughing at its shoes: 'Blog each week?! *slap* Methinks not! And by the way, your shoes are repugnant! MUHUHAHAHA' or something like that...

I just don't want you to get bored of me...


Any potential stalkers out there? Well allow me to give you a headstart and tell you where I'll be on Saturday 6th December:



Ok, Jesus and his Dad may have something about this rather bold claim, but it is in fact the name for a group of rather fabulous designers and makers, myself included, who will be selling their wares from 11-5pm at The American Church, 79a Tottenham Court Road, W1T 5TD. Read all about it here. I expect to see you there, or else a note from your parent, on my desk the following Monday.


I have been busy since we last met: honest! I've made these:


This lemur one was a commission from a chum at work , and it inspired me to make more. (I have a similar one for a tea drinker with exquisite taste in my shop.)



I haven't listed this one yet...I don't know why (must have been distracted by something shiny) It will therefore escort me to WeMake.


The Union of Craft Tea Cosy
(sold, but I will recreate its' patriotic joy at some point)



lavender hearts (3 available in the shop)


brooches for WeMake (apart from the centre one, which is for this)


I believe in magic! I bought this size 10 linen skirt at my local flea market for one whole pound, for the fabric obviously (unless I was hoping to find another one in order to make trousers, I think that would be obvious) and asked the utterly gorgeous, uber stylish and ridiculously talented Abi Bansal if she could perform fabric alchemy and turn my base metal skirt into a gold tunic.





I love it, oh, everso. It hangs beautifully, the pockets are practical and at just the right height to pop your hands in comfortably for those moments that require sullen ambivalence, and / or lip balm storage. Check out her shop and her beautiful, inspiring blog and be touched by the Blessing of the Bansal: its what your life has been missing, quite frankly.

I've also made some tea towels (long story: all will be revealed soon) for those brand, spanking new group of craft renegades, ukhandmade. (who very kindly did a 'Spotlight' on me!) They're from a recipe by Lotta Jansdotter's 'Simple Sewing' and, whilst I know there is something 'Oh dear! Mum needs to start taking her pills again!' about making your own tea towels, they rock long and they rock hard. Admit it: you'd have them:



...and you'd be right too.


Ok, the 'Panic' in the title of this post refers to me getting ready for WeMake. (expect a minimalist style from the House of yumptatious...) Therefore, it is now time for brownies. (I know that's the real reason you're here.) But I warn you: if you are on a diet, navigate away from the page (unless, of course, you have a moment of clarity, in that you realise that your life will only improve, not when your thighs cease to rub together when you walk, but when you appreciate just how lucky you are to have any form of body at all, and that to waste life trying to conform to some narrow concept of beauty is futile, when you could be enjoying the warmth and joy that life, and a willing partner, are waiting to cloak you in.)

This is based on a recipe by Elisabeth Luard and is from the October edition of my favourite porn mag, Country Living. (I know its wrong, but I can't help myself...)
I have lost count how many times I have made this recipe already, at first, slavishly following the instructions (apart from the 75g chocolate: what is the point of leaving the last 25g?! Thwack it all in!) to what I do now: mixing it all in one pan.
I have used the strongest Green + Blacks chocolate and also Sainsbury's economy dark chocolate and it all works, baby! Just don't ever, EVER use cooking chocolate! As my beautiful, and very to-the-point chum, Vera once said to me, with a look of shock and disgust, 'Why?!?! Use real chocolate!' She is wise, and I haven't looked back since. (well, I did reverse round a corner last week...)
It also works with demerera sugar I discovered last week, after I ran out of caster sugar (when we run out of caster sugar, I have the same look of panic in my eyes when that my Mum used to have when she ran out of garlic: one part confusion mixed with two parts of fear. This shows just how much my Mum used/s garlic in her cooking, rather than reveal a fear of vampires.)
It works equally well with unsalted butter or cheap(ish) sunflower spread. (as long as you don't used reduced fat spreads, because they just don't do the job.)
And don't bother melting your chocolate and butter in a bowl over a pan of boiling water: I just melt it together in the pan: aah, bite me!
Ms Luard's recipe uses hazelnuts, but good old walnuts work well. I wager that pecans would be most edifying too, whatwhat.

Please feel free to print this off and put it on your fridge for ease of use. Personally, I'd be tempted to have it tattooed onto the inside of my eyelids, but I'm just a martyr to the baking cause.

The 'Surely there should be more effort involved?!' Brownies.



100g dark chocolate
125g chopped butter (it melts easier in small pieces) or 125g scooped margarine (you could possibly melt it by breathing on it: why not give it a go...)
250g caster sugar (or whatever sugar you have: its all good)
2 eggs
100g self raising flour
100g walnuts (or any nut that curries your favour)


Heat oven to 190oc / gas mark 5

Melt together the chocolate and butter, maverick style, straight in the pan over a medium heat.



Allow to cool slightly. (just the time it takes to either make a cup of tea, look for and download an obscure song from iTunes, or log onto Etsy, click on 'Community', then click on 'Forums', find the UK chat hidden away in 'Etc' and type in 'I'd have to disagree. I was quite ill for days as a result' and log out instantly.)



Add the sugar to the chocolate melaaaange and beat together.



Add the eggs to the sweet chocolate melaaaange and beat together.



Add the flour to the eggy, sweet, chocolate melaaaange and beat together.



Add the nuts to the flour-enriched, eggy, sweet, chocolate melaaaange and beat together.



Line a 20cm square tin (or the nearest you've got: I'm not a tin fascist) in the style of your choosing (I use reuseable Teflon liners, but thats just how I roll) and pour in the hip-enhancing goop.

Bake for 25 mins.



Cut into squares and allow to cool. I put mine in the fridge after about 20 mins to harden up the chocolate. I store them in there rather than storing them in a tin.


I know this is hard, but try not to eat the lot on your own, especially if you've used a powerful cocoa-charged chocolate, as you may get a little buzzy.





This is my gift to you: use it wisely.

6 comments:

Charlotte Lader said...

the main reason that you should post more often is that there is not a tena lady strong enough to contain me when you are in full stride. God, you are hilarious!!

Post more. Please.

*gasp*

hippyofdoom said...

Aww nice to see you have been good busy! And you really should do more recipe posts, you are hilarious but useful!

That recipe looks gorgeous. I have been looking at Luard's Classic French Cooking book, but I think the brownie book might be more in order lol.

Lovely hearing from you!

Raggy Rat said...

i bloody love that union of craft tea cosy
omg yes i do

and brownies

cat xxxxxxxx

Unknown said...

I have to say you have saved my life to day..really truly and honestly..these brownies i am about to put in the oven mean the world to me and it's all down to you..

I am now an avid yump blog stalker just keep the recipies comin!

yumptatious said...

Charlotte: aww, bless you! (although now I have an extra quota of guilt...) Sorry to hear of your bladder issues. ((((hugs + Potty))))

hippy: 'hilarious and useful': that's going on my gravestone! ;-) I haven't seen any of Ms Luard's books, but the series in 'Country Living' is very beautiful, especially when read in my cramped house in a cramped town!

raggy: you are so wise and delicious *bows low*

nicki: yay! a boney fido stalker! Feel free to show your adoration by posting beautiful hair clips and buttons through my door.
Brownies shouldn't be life changing, but they are. Welcome to my world! :-)

KMCdesigns said...

I want brownies.....thank you for posting this, I think I will have to give it a go!