This easy recipe takes about a total of 30 minutes total to make and is derived from a 4/4 fork rated recipe from 317 users on Epicurious.com. I have made certain adjustments to make it the way I like it so I’ve put my version below. It really depends on the oven you have but the trick is to not overcook it and you must leave the middle a little gooey. There’s no messing this up either – you can add anything you like and try different measurements of ingredients like I did. Obviously, the better the ingredients, the yummier it is so I try and use as much organic and local ingredients from our local co-op. Good luck and let me know how it goes!

Dark chocolate tasting fudgy brownies with cran-raisins = the best batch I've made so far!

INGREDIENTS:

• 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) organic, local butter (I like it salted and from grass fed cows)
• 3/4 cups raw organic sugar
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (any will do but I use Trader Joe’s brand)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
• 3 cold medium eggs
• 1/2 cup spelt flour
• 2/3 cup cran-raisins, chocolate chips, peanut butter scoops or whatever you like (optional)
• dashes of cracked rock salt (Himalayan pink is what I use)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Over a double broiler (I just use a smaller pot filled with low boiling water under a larger pot that can hold all the ingredients), melt the butter and add cococa, salt and sugar. Stir until well mixed.
2. Remove from heat and let cool until it’s warm while you prepare the other ingredients, butter the bottom and sides of a square pan (the smaller the pan, the thicker the brownies) and warm the oven to 325°F
3. Stir in vanilla, then eggs one by one, making sure that it’s well mixed before you add the next one. Then add the flour until it’s well incorporated.
4. Put into the pan, crack rock salt over the whole thing and bake for 15 minutes, promptly taking out and letting cool so as to not overcook it.

(Modified from http://joyofbaking.com/OatmealCookies.html)

NOTE: Steel cut outs are denser and take longer to cook so I used less of it than the original recipe and made the batter wetter. I think it would be best to bake at a lower temperature for longer. The cookies will still be crispier and hardier than your usual oatmeal cookies but yummy none the less.

Message me for questions!

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 cup organic salted butter, room temperature or melted if you can’t wait that long :-)

1 cup organic light brown sugar

1 large organic egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup organic all purpose flour (wheat would be healthier

1/2 teaspoon baking soda (without aluminum!)

1/2 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt (course ground)

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 1/2 cups steel cut (Irish) oats

1/2 cup dried organic cranberries

1/2 cup white or dark organic chocolate chips

1/3 cup of organic rice milk

DIRECTIONS:

In a bowl , cream the butter or mix melted with sugar until creamy and smooth. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat to combine. The mixture should be pretty shiny, gloppy and thick.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and beat until incorporated. Stir in the oats, and dried cranberries and chocolate chips. The mixture should be pretty sticky and well combined. If you think it should be wetter, add more rice milk. If you think it should be drier, add more flour.

For large cookies, use 1/4 cup of batter (use an ice cream scoop or just your measuring cup and a baking spatula). Space the cookies about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Then wet your hand and flatten the cookies slightly with your fingers so they are about 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) thick. Bake the cookies for about 15-25 minutes at 250 degrees F, or until light golden brown around the edges but still soft and a little wet in the centers. Remove from oven and let the cookies cool a few minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a wire rack to cool.

Makes about 20 – 24 large very crispy cookies

These pin cushions were inspired by my best friend, an amazing cupcake baker who told me a few weeks ago she wanted to learn how to sew.  They have been upcycled using fabric remnants and salvaged ceramic cups and have been filled with the heartiest of fabrics so guaranteed to give you that satisfying stabbing feeling (don’t pretend you don’t know what I mean!).

There’s only a few left in the metaphoRmula shop so get ‘em while they’re hot ;-)

Cupcake Pincushions