Amazing control - Chocolate brownie cake

My 4 year old was so much into cakes, brownies, candies, chocolates, cookies, basically anything and everything sweet that it was next to impossible to control her. She used to cry for something sweet every time. She wanted a sweet fix so often - when she woke up, before she went to school after she came from school, at snack time, at bedtime - that we had started referring to her as the "cookie monster".

Whenever we went to our friends, she would somehow find their stocks of sweets, be it cookies, candies or even gummy bear (children's vitamins). It was embarrassing for me at times.

Last month, I took my 1 year old for his annual check up, while I was waiting for his turn at the waiting area, I came across this pamphlet about baby bottle tooth decay. I was reading about it and just happened to carry the pamphlet home. At home, my 4 year old came to me as usual for a sugar fix, when I showed her the pamphlet.
There were some pretty graphic pictures about the tooth decay; teeth that were very badly discolored, broken and the lips were stretched to show the teeth and gums. I told her that if you eat a lot of sugary things eventually your teeth will have a bad decay and may look like this. I expected her to say, Oh! whatever mum, but I still want candy. Instead I was very much surprised by her reaction.

She started sobbing! She vowed that she is never ever going to touch anything sweet. I was so sure that this reaction will last maybe half an hour, and she will forget all about it and come back for a sugar fix.

Guess what?

It has been more then a month and for a girl, who was always sugar high, has not asked for a sugar treat. Isn't that amazing! She has controlled herself so well that I started feeling guilty about the whole thing, and started telling her that it was okay to have some cookies or candies. So, now we have compromised and she has agreed to have something sweet on Saturdays after lunch. I wish I could be like her and control my sugar rush.


I made this chocolate brownie cake this weekend as we had some friends over. This cake is very dense; it is almost like a tart in that it is not spongy. It is fudgy, like a brownie should be and absolutely delicious. It is lovely as it is, or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The method is also very simple; there is no need to beat the eggs a lot. Most of the ingredients are melted on the stovetop in one pot and then the rest of the ingredients mixed through and baked for 30 minutes. This is an easy, no fuss cake, and is just too good to resist.

So this one is for her - for her amazing control.
Love you dear,


Ingredients:

• 100g butter
• 175g caster sugar
• 75g brown sugar
• 125g chocolate (semi sweet)
• 1 tbsp corn syrup
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract /essence
• 100g plain flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder

Method:
Heat oven to 350 F/180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Grease and line a 20cm cake tin.

Place the butter, caster sugar, brown sugar, chocolate and corn syrup in the pan and melt gently on a low heat until it is smooth and lump-free. Remove the pan from the heat.

Break the eggs into the bowl and whisk with the fork until light and frothy.

Add the eggs, vanilla extract or essence, flour, baking powder and cocoa powder to the chocolate mixture and mix thoroughly.

Put the mixture into the greased cake tin and place on the middle shelf of the oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Remove and allow to cool for 20-30 minutes before cutting into wedges and serving.

Serve with ice cream and or plenty of fresh fruit.