Cinnamon Brownies.

I have few secrets, but the ones I do have... they're horrific. I don't often tell people for this exact reason, but I feel I need to be honest with you all.

I'm terrible at making brownies.

...But I made brownies.

With CINNAMON.

They came out perfectly moist, with just a hint of cinnamon spice. They're perfectly cooked, perfectly chocolaty and... have you ever eaten a brownie for breakfast? I have. It made me feel sick. It made me feel dirty. It was all oh, so wrong but... I'd do it again.

I'll tell you the story of how these babies came about. I'd made brownies before. I'd made them horribly. In fact, I'm not even sure I made brownies, because it was much more like a massive souffle. The brownie mix rose in the oven... and rose some more... and the middle was still completely gooey, despite being in there for an hour... then I got them out, and they were still towering above the edge of the tin and... it never deflated. Only when I poked it did it drop down, but it was still runny and horrible inside. I needed to prove to myself that I could make brownies.

So I did. I had to dash to the shop midway through making these, because I didn't realise we only had 3 eggs, rather than the required 4. Then, finally when the time came for me to add the flour and cocoa powder... I decided it was missing something, so I went to the spice box and found the cinnamon. I was a weird urge, but once I'd added a touch of it to the flour/cocoa powder... it felt so right.

And that's exactly what these brownies are. You'll want to make them and eat them all within a day. I would've if these weren't so intensely chocolaty, so instead I had to take some into college with me and they were demolished by friends and acquaintances of mine... I even offered one to my lecturer.

I'll be getting straight A's for the rest of the year.

Cinnamon Brownies.

Adapted from The Great British Book of Baking.

(I didn't use a square tin for this, we don't have one, instead I used a round cake tin. Also, feel free to omit the cinnamon, or change the milk chocolate to dark. Whatever takes your fancy.)

225g butter, diced

100g milk chocolate, broken up

1 tsp vanilla extract

200g sugar

4 large eggs, at room temperature

50g plain flour

50g cocoa powder

50g white chocolate chips

50g milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to gas-mark 4 (180 C/350F). Grease a 20cm tin, line the base with greaseproof paper.

Slowly melt the butter and chocolate in a small, heavy-based pan, on the lowest heat stirring frequently. Remove from heat and set aside to cool until needed.

Mix the sugar, eggs and vanilla extract together with a whisk, then whisk in the melted chocolate mixture.

Sift the flour, cocoa and cinnamon into the bowl and mix thoroughly.

Stir in the chocolate chips (alternatively you could use nuts, or a mixture of the 2) then transfer to the prepared tin and spread evenly.

Bake in the heated oven for around 30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out with moist crumbs. (This will continue cooking once you’ve taken it out of the oven, so do not overcook it. [I personally had to leave it in for around 40 minutes, as my oven dislikes brownies])

Leave to cool completely before cutting into squares.

If you can stomach a whole batch of brownies, then go ahead and eat these all by yourself, but I highly recommend sharing. And, with Valentines Day coming up, you have the perfect opportunity to impress your friends, family and valentines with your baking skills, whilst showing the world how much of a generous, caring person you are.*

*(Disclamer: I don't usually condone "sharing" and I'm generally a selfish individual, so you can't sue me for any feelings of goodwill and generosity that may come from the act of "sharing")

Plum Jam

Occasionally I like to do something daring. Occasionally I like to venture into the unknown, risking life and limb for the sake of something yummy. And I've done just that. I have risked my life or, at the very least, my sanity.

I made plum jam.

Yes, I know, that may not sound very daring and life threatening, but have you ever stood there, gazing at boiling hot plums as they slowly melt down to jam, and wanting to just reach right in there with your bare hand and salvage just one piece so you can experience the awesomeness of handpicked plums all over again?

See. Danger. But it was worth it and I'd do it again, because even scalding hot those plums tasted of a little bit of heaven.

I almost regret not eating the lot now, but when you're given 1kg of the juiciest handpicked plums in the world it's almost a little depressing to wake up and still see the pile of them sitting there, slowly getting less fresh with each day that passes. I had to do something.

When life gives you lemons, make lemon meringue pie, and when life gives you plums... make plum jam (or scoff the lot, it's really up to you. Either way fills your stomach with rainbows and happiness)


Plum Jam.

Adapted from allrecipes.co.uk and cottagesmallholder.com

(Apparantly this is also yummy if you make it with Damsons. Someone give that a go for me, yeah?)

-100ml water
-900g plums
-900g jam/preserving sugar (this already has the pectin added in)

Wash and dry plums.

Cut plums in half and remove the stones then place in a preserving pan, or large heavy bottomed saucepan, along with the water.

Bring the plums to the boil. As soon as they start boiling, reduce the heat and simmer gently until the plums are soft.

Return to the boil, and add sugar whilst continuously stirring until the sugar has dissolved.

Boil rapidly for around 5-10 minutes, stirring often.

Test for setting by dripping a bit of the jam onto a cooled plate (I whack a plate in the fridge or freezer for a bit), leaving it for a few moments, then pushing it with your finger. If it crinkles: it’s set. If it doesn’t, continue to boil and test for set again after a minute or two.

Take the jam off of the heat, and skim off any foam, then transfer to sterilised jars*.

Leave to cool at room temperature.

(*To sterilise jars, wash in hot soapy water and dry with a clean tea towel. Boil then lids to sterilise those. Put the jars into the oven on a baking trayand heat them before pouring in the jam.)

And now, for a toast, to some utterly gorgeous and mouthwatering plum jam.

Oh, how I love bad jokes.