There’s Nothing Like a Good List

I like writing lists. I enjoy crossing things off lists. I value having a nice pen with which to write a list, and I adore a nice little notebook in which to write them.

Plain and simple: I LOVE LISTS.

Without lists, my life would be aimless and disorganised, haphazard and inefficient. A good list makes me feel organised and virtuous and more in control of things than I probably am. It also helps me get to the end of my day and feel like I accomplished something, because even though I am staying at home with Tiny by choice, I still like to feel useful in more ways than one. Having a demanding baby means my capacity for remembering to do things is sometimes a little reduced, so a good list keeps everything ticking along nicely.

Yesterday was a good crossing-things-off-the-list kinda day. I got the groceries, folded two loads of laundry and washed another two loads, organised a gift to send to Germany for my friend and her new baby, cleared an episode of Criminal Minds from the recorder thingy, arranged a Skype-date with my sister, started on my brother’s wedding invitations, prepared dinner (in preparation for another rough bedtime with Tiny…who was asleep in my arms by 7pm), and baked this naughty little beauty:

double chocolate boysenberry naughtiness

Sigh. I love a good list.

Double Chocolate & Boysenberry Brownie – makes approx 30 slices

300g butter
1 1/2c cocoa powder
6 eggs
2 1/2c caster sugar
1t vanilla essence
1c self-raising flour
250g dark chocolate chips
850g boysenberries – if using tinned, ensure they are well drained
50g icing sugar, for dusting

Pre-heat oven to 170degC *. Line a 20x30cm baking dish with baking paper.

Melt butter and cocoa powder together in a large pot, stirring constantly. Remove from heat once melted.

Lightly whisk together the eggs, sugar and vanilla essence. Fold into the cocoa mixture until well combined. Add flour and mix well.

Spoon brownie mixture into prepared dish. Sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over the top, followed by the boysenberries.

Bake in the centre of the oven for 35-40mins *. Leave to cool, remove from the pan and dust with icing sugar.

* If you have a crappy old oven like mine, you might want to bake at a hotter temperature, use the fanbake option, or bake for slightly longer – the middle of my brownie was still incredibly liquid after 40mins.

Recipe: Foodtown Magazine

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