No one ever tells you this but one of the biggest sacrifices you make when you have a baby is not sleep. It’s not your social life. It’s not even a good hot shower. It’s baking. Yes, baking.
Because when you’re on demand by the little one 24 x 7, you don’t have time to get anything together, let alone an extensive ingredients list. And you’re certainly not guaranteed enough time to get the batter done, and in the oven, and assured that you’ll be available to take it out of the oven. Chances are, if you get the batter done, it’ll just sit there and go hard while you rock, play, feed, burp or… change a nappy. So you just don’t bake.
(And no, I’m not baking while he’s sleeping. I’m way too chicken to take the chance of waking him with the noise.)
But then, somewhere along the line (for me it was between three to four months), small miracles start to happen. The little one suddenly doesn’t absolutely need you every second of every day. Suddenly, the play mat is fascinating, the bumbo is awesome (I can sit up, mum!) and the jumper, wow don’t even go there. I can almost get a full half hour to myself!
Last week, I managed to bake these fudgey walnut brownies while Sam sat in his bumbo in the kitchen. Sure I baby-talked non-stop while I mixed and poured and scooped and ducked over to give quick kisses and snuggles every two minutes, but hey it worked! Until he poo’d himself, but by then the batter was in the oven
| Fudgey walnut brownies |
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| 220grams dark chocolate, roughly chopped 175grams unsalted butter 300grams caster sugar 130grams plain flour 3 eggs 1 1/2 cups walnuts, chopped square baking tray lined with greaseproof paper |
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| Makes about 12 portions |