Do See Eat

DO read The Handmaid's Tale by the amazing Margret Atwood. A dystopian novel of a late 20th century Northern America which has become the Republic of Geilead; where women are subjected and their right to their bodies is removed. A novel I found myself completely obsessed with and unable to put down.

I know I've mentioned it before, but seriously DO go to the rain room at the Barbican by Random International before it ends on March 3rd. Going at the beginning of the Christmas holidays, we queued for about an hour and a half, but it felt well worth it! Sit in the queue with a cup of coffee and your be pleased you sticked it out in the end. (Here are some of my own photos from the room and a very very short video which may give you a small glimpse to the impact of the litres of rain falling down on you.)

SEE Matthew Bourne's latest sensation Sleeping Beauty at Sadler's Wells. With the original music by Tchaikovsky, contemporary choreography from Matthew Bourne and stunning fairytale costumes and set you can't not see it. Your find yourself breath taken in a completely different world with vampires, fairies and the like. Although sold out (but with the possibility of buying returns on the day) fear not because it's going on tour! and will be on in the New Wimbledon Theatre in April. 

My other recommendation to SEE is My Mad Fat Diary on E4. Based on Rae Earls own Mad Fat Teenage Diary, this programme touches spectacularly well on metal health and teenage life with much sensitivity yet great humour (something which seems rarely well done). A great watch.

EAT this delicious, moorish chocolate, raspberry brownies! I baked them this evening and I'm struggling to resist eating another. I got the recipe from BBC goodfood. 

• Ingredients                              
• 200g dark chocolate , broken into chunks
• 100g milk chocolate , broken into chunks
• 250g pack salted butter
• 400g soft light brown sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 140g plain flour
• 50g cocoa powder
• 200g raspberries  
• 
  
• Method
• 1. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line a 20 x 30cm baking tray tin with baking parchment. Put the chocolate, butter and sugar in a pan and gently melt, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Remove from the heat.
  2. Stir the eggs, one by one, into the melted chocolate mixture. Sieve over the flour and cocoa, and stir in. Stir in half the raspberries, scrape into the tray, then scatter over the remaining raspberries. Bake on the middle shelf for 30 mins or, if you prefer a firmer texture, for 5 mins more. Cool before slicing into squares. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Crunchy Caramel topped Brownies

Be warned once you have one you will want more of these crunchy caramel topped chocolate brownies.

Ingredients
185g Dark Chocolate (I like Green and Blacks 70%)
185g Butter
85g Plain Flour
40g Coco Powder
3 Large Eggs
225g Golden Caster Sugar
150g Granulated Sugar
Water

Method
1) Preheat the oven to gas mark 4 and grease a 20cm square tin. In a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water melt the Dark Chocolate and Butter. Once melted take off the heat and leave to cool for about 15 minutes.
2) Sieve the flower an coco powder into the chocolate and butter mix and combine.
3) In a separate bowl whisk together the Golden Caster Sugar and 3 eggs. Then fold into the Chocolate mixture and mix.
4) Bake in the oven for about 30minutes until it no longer wobbles when you shake it. At this point remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin.
5) Once the brownie is cooled remove from the tin and leave to cool further on a drying rack. At this point place the granulated sugar into a bowl and cover in warm water. Let the sugar dissolve into the water before heating. Heat until the sugar and water mixture turns golden brown and smells like caramel. At this point remove from the heat and place the sauce pan in a bowl of cool water to prevent further cooking for just a few seconds. Using a fork flick the caramel over the top of the brownies and leave to set.
6) Cut the brownies into 16 separate squares and enjoy!