baking treats

Sometimes the 'smallest' achievements are those that mean the most in our lives. One of my very, very recent achievements has been the creation of a finer balance - you know, between being a mum, wife, writer, friend, woman.

It's been so freeing to find myself with extra snippets of time... for yoga, for a walk in the sunshine, for a long email to a friend, for creating shiny floors and polishing mirrors... and for baking goodies for my kidlets.

I SO love to bake treats for my darlings and today I went a little bananas and whipped up Donna Hay's standby brownies - you know, the brownies you have when you have not a skerrick of chocolate left in the house. This recipe is all cocoa powder-based and lo - it is good! There was even that gorgeous, slightly melty interior... glorious.

The muffins, I also used a basic Donna Hay recipe but I left out 1/4 cup flour and added 1/4 (plus a wee bit more) of Dutch cocoa powder and the zest of an entire orange. Oh my - they are divine! Totally and moreishly crunchy on top and fluffy soft inside, with a hint of orange.

I also cooked some coconut macaroons from an old fashioned recipe and used shredded coconut instead. I added extra coconut to the recipe (about another 3/4 cup) and baked them in little patty pans. Eating them is like sliding your teeth into chewy meringes with that rush of coconut and gorgeous, sweet eggy crunch. Delectable. Ella went bananas when she got home from school.

Baking is so good for the soul. {not so good for the thighs}