It is really easy to get stuck in a routine.
Wake up. Get coffee. Get on the train. Read 30 pages in a novel. Walk a few blocks. Finish coffee. Get to the office. Pour another cup of coffee. Answer emails. Do design-y stuff. Walk a few blocks. Get on the train. Catch up on twitter. Go home. Eat dinner. Do blog-y stuff. Go to bed.
Lather, rinse, repeat.
Routine is comfortable, familiar. Known.
I have to say, I like my little routine. I read 9 novels this summer and I only read while on the train. Ok, I might have developed an unhealthy dependence on coffee. (Blame Mammacakes. I started sneaking sips of her coffee when I was 4 and she would leave a mug on the table). But the routine is mine.
But it is just that. A routine. Like a treadmill (the world’s most torturous piece of gym equipment).
Sometimes, you just have to do this:
(Yes. Really. A Spice Girls video.)
Maybe that means ordering a latte when you normally order a chai.
Maybe that means just going for it , whatever it happens to be. A new job. A date . A new cooking technique. Ordering something other than the usual.
A good friend told me that I need to just take a day and go for it. Do something I normally wouldn’t. Have fun just because I can. Shake things up to see where the pieces fall. Not a calculated risk. No weighing pros and cons. Just making things happen.
So, here’s to spicing things up.
Let’s start by spicing up some chocolate decadance.
At my super fabulous day job (yes, I am going to keep rubbing in how much I love it), we do fun things. Like brewing (gluten-free) beer and taco potlucks.
Last week, we had one of those potlucks. And I forgot to sign up. Because, really, would you expect me to bring anything other than dessert?
A concerned coworker asked if I was going to participate. Of course I was going to. I asked him what he wanted. His answer? Mexican Spiced Brownies.
It was the perfect excuse to make a new variation on one of my favorite treats (I even have my go-to gluten-free brownie recipe memorized) .
Fudgy bits of chocolate heaven, with a kick. They were such a hit at the potluck, all I got was that little corner of a brownie. I blame [my coworker] Shellie. (She swears that ice cream eaten with the brownies makes them even better).
| Gluten-Free Mexican Spiced Brownies |
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- 310 grams (11 ounces) dark chocolate, chopped
- 230 grams (8 ounces/ 2 sticks) butter, chopped in 1 inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 10 grams (2 tablespoons) cocoa powder
- 300 grams (1 1/2 cups) granulated sugar
- 110 grams (1/2 cup) firmly packed brown sugar
- 5 eggs
- 150 grams (1 1/4 cups) gluten-free all-purpose flour like Cup4Cup*
- 1/2 teaspoon chipotle
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika (spicy if you have it)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 5 grams (1/2 teaspoon) fresh, finely grated ginger
- Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium pot over low heat, melt the butter and chocolate and salt.
- Once melted, remove the pot from the stove and stir in the vanilla, cocoa powder and sugars.
- In a sperate bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, cinnamon, ginger, chipotle and paprika.
- Add the eggs to the melted chocolate mixture in 2 groups, stirring to incorporate. As soon as the eggs are mixed in, add the flour in 2 groups.
- Be careful not to over-mix the batter. You want to incorporate as little air as possible into the batter or else you will end up with a brownie that is less chewy and more cake like.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes. They are better a little under done than to be over cooked.
I use Cup4Cup flour or Jules’ Nearly Normal Flour when I use all-purpose flour. If you want to make your own bend for this recipe, use 10 grams ground flax meal, 40 grams sorghum flour, 20 grams brown rice flour, 20 grams white rice flour, 30 grams tapioca starch, 30 grams sweet white rice flour
This post is linked to: Slightly Indulgent Tuesday