Sugar Rush
Surprising new habits, revisiting cookbooks and baking for energy
I walked 20 miles today. Well if I’m being picky, it was actually 21 miles. Mainly in muggy, July drizzle and most weirdly of all, I had a good time. I recently joined a gym and out of nowhere have become someone who willingly signs up for a multiple mile hike on a Sunday morning, leaving at 6am. Believe me when I say, this comes as a surprise to no-one more so than myself.
For I am simply: not this person. On a rainy day day I’d gladly take an afternoon on the sofa rather than a ramble outside. Once ensconced in what C calls my nest (woven out of various sofa cushions and a blanket, cup of tea at close range, and on a good day, the dog) I’m unlikely to move for anything less than a fire, or a perhaps a third cup of tea. Now all of a sudden I’m exercising 6 days a week and am actually worried that my new blister might hold me up in my workouts next week.
I honestly don’t know how this happened. Was every women’s magazines right when they preached to us that the trick was to find an exercise you enjoy? Surely it can’t actually be that simple. And if so, how annoying! Besides I’m not sure burpees = enjoyment. I’ve got a sneaky suspicion it’s more to do with what’s going on in my life right now. Having a regular vent for my stress, and a place where I forget everything for an hour is incredibly freeing. When I walk out of the gym at 7am (yes I go to the 6am class) it’s like coming up for air. My head breaks through the surface and whoosh, all thoughts from my everyday reality are back. But it’s ok, because I’ve had an hour off, and endorphins are flooding my body, and I know I will sleep well at night because my body is satisfyingly exhausted.
One thing led to another and before you know it I’m saying yes to a Sunday morning yomp to Crooks Peak. They said it would take 7 hours. I said, we’re gonna need some snacks. When thinking what to bake, some options were easy to rule out immediately. I deem brownies too sickly when exercising, flapjacks are boring, cookies too flimsy, granola bars a bit virtuous. Blondies seemed just the ticket.
I remembered a Nigella blondie recipe I made once upon a time, from her Kitchen cookbook. A book I loved with a passion when I first got it in 2008, and cooked from solidly for a good few years, but it’s pretty meat heavy so doesn’t get much attention anymore. Nevertheless, I dusted off it off and thought I’d have a crack at amending the recipe - and it worked a treat!
As well as switching out the ingredients I added a demerara and smoked salt topping because I really enjoy the contrast of a crunchy topping on something gooey. And I thought what with all the walking and, most likely sweating, we could all use a hit of sodium too.
The resulting blondie is squishy and dense with a fudgy, oaty middle and a crunchy salty topping. Sturdy enough to withstand 10 miles of being jostled in the back of a soggy Osprey bag. Tasty enough that requests for seconds were put forward by people I only met a few hours earlier. The perfect sugar and salt injection for a long walk. Equally great nibbled with a cup of tea from within your sofa nest. The choice is yours.
Chocolate + Smoked Salt Blondies
Ingredients:
150g vegan butter
100 light brown soft sugar
370g tin vegan condensed milk
200g porridge oats
100g plain flour
30g ground flaxseeds
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
150g chocolate chips
To top:
35g demerara sugar
5g smoked salt / flaky salt
Method:
Preheat your oven to 190/170°C fan and line a square baking tin with baking paper.
Beat the butter and brown sugar together until creamy, I did this in a stand mixer but you can also do it by hand.
Add in the condensed milk and beat again until combined.
Into the same bowl add in the oats, flour, ground flaxseeds and bicarb. I simply remove the bowl from the blender and weigh them straight in. Mix again until fully combined.
Fold in the chocolate chips and pour the mixture into your lined tin.
Weigh the demerara sugar and smoked salt into a small bowl and mix to distribute the salt evenly in the sugar.
Sprinkle over the surface of the blondie mixture and place in the oven for 35 mins.
Remove the tin from the oven and place on a cooling rack. The blondies will be very soft when they come out so don’t try to remove them from the tin. Once they’ve cooled to close to room temperature I’d recommend eating a corner while they’re all warm, crumbly and full of melty chocolate. Once you’ve had your fill place the whole tin in the fridge to cool and firm up before slicing into squares.
Notes:
I went for 5x5 making 25 mini squares, as they’re quite sweet, and you can always have a second, or third.
Warm out of the oven this would also make a great dessert served with ice-cream.
Easy to make gluten free by using plain gluten free flour and gluten free oats.