How do you measure your days? What makes certain events or occasions memorable, unforgettable?
I ADORE brownies. It ranks very highly in my dessert options for reasons anyone could have guessed. Yeaap, it’s chocolate, convenient to eat and easy to make! Plus you could jazz up plain ol’ brownies to come up with peanut butter (next on my list), red velvet, chocolate chip mint, cookie dough, Nutella brownies etc. The possibilities are endless!! Lately, I have developed a penchant for looking up different brownie recipes from various baking blogs, poring over them, trying to compare and contrast the different recipes and also testing the recipes out in my quest to search for the ultimate dense and fudgy brownie recipe. Cakey brownies, will ya just move aside.
Attempts after attempts at different recipes (original and adaptations) accompanied by bouts of frustration and disappointment have not gotten me to the point where I can say that I am truly, fully satisfied with any one recipe which I would use religiously from now onwards. Not even close *sigh*. Oddly enough though, I’ve always thought the first time I tried my hands at brownies was my best so far, and it’s probably the only batch I remember to be good enough.
As I ponder more about brownies, it’s beginning to occur to me that it may be the unsurpassed expectations leading me to think my subsequent batches are never good enough because they don’t taste like the epitome of brownies I’ve conjured up in my mind. Yet, should they be dismissed or disregarded simply because they don’t fit my idea of a perfect brownie?
At a closer look, I realized how much my ‘brownie’ conundrum parallels that of life. I think I remember certain days or events more clearly than others. The first time I aced an exam, the year my team won the national tournament, the day I received that much-awaited university offer etc. Simply put, I sometimes tend to take pride in the significant events/achievements and gloss over what is considered as less important days, occasions.
If I am constantly in need of the next big thing for me to remember and appreciate life, how should I treat the rest of my ‘normal’ days? Should they conveniently be deemed mediocre or even insignificant, despite those being the days I was humbled by another person’s kindness, made fast friends with people I never imagined I’d talk to, and learned more about my faith?
I know the answer is a resounding NO, but knowing it doesn’t make it any easier to put into practice. I can only pray for the Lord to enable me to rejoice and give thanks for each day, every little blessing, regardless of circumstances, with or without (future) achievements to speak of, irrespective of good days and bad days. I am still very much a work-in-progress, just like my brownies.
Now after all that serious reflection, I think I need a brownie. A Guinness-laced one, actually. Here’s the recipe for it! 🙂
http://www.wellplated.com/guinness-brownies/
Note:
- I found the tablespoon measurement for butter a little iffy when converted to grams , so I recommend using 150g of unsalted butter, 10-20g more if you want it fudgier.
- I wanted a bolder Guinness flavour, so I heated up 2 cups of the stout until it was reduced to 1 cup.
The brownies weren’t as fudgy as I hoped for them to be, but they were quite dense and very chocolaty ( We accidentally chopped up 300g instead of 250 g of chocolate oops :p)
Also, I compiled our shots and made my first baking video (very horrible edited HAHA) as a memento of the baking sesh with SW, SC and SL. It was certainly a night to remember.
The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him. (Psalms 28:7)
Till next time,
Grace
Labour of Love 