“Summertime is always the best of what might be.”
Charles Bowden

Chocolate Oat Almond Walnut Brownies … you can’t have enough brownie recipes under your belt. The younger teen is suddenly showing sporadic bursts of interests in the kitchen. Maybe he’s trying to beat the heat, or maybe discovering a new hobby. Maybe forever H U  N G R Y, he thinks it’s best

I was pleasantly surprised some time back when he sauntered into the kitchen in his PJs while I was stirring brownies. Nonchalantly he took the whisk and bowl from me, and made the batter like he had been doing it for years! So I asked him to get up early a few days ago to bake another batch. He made these as we were off for a weekend to Calcutta. Have you plans like getting away with family on weekend holidays ? 

It’s a nice way to engage kids in the kitchen, brilliant actually. Brownies are forgiving creatures. Delicious too! The batter gets stirred together in minutes, and these are less messy. It’s a simple one bowl recipe. Nothing much can go wrong.

You can see how the lad had a go at them. He stirred them together gently, and then in a moment of happiness, gave the batter a vigorous  stir up! Soon we had a batch of Chocolate Oat Walnut Brownies. These are gluten-free.

{Research suggests that pure, uncontaminated oats and oat products are not toxic to the majority of adults and children with coeliac disease. However the vast majority of oats and oats products on the market are contaminated with wheat, rye and/or barley. Processing, such as milling, makes them unsuitable for people with coeliac disease. The protein found in oats is called avenin, which is similar to gluten. There is some evidence to suggest that some people with coeliac disease may even react to pure, uncontaminated oats.}

This recipe is ever forgiving and came out good. Good enough for the kids to enjoy, good enough for the younger teen to flaunt them. “I made them”,  he announces to all and sundry, then goes on to devour another rightful square! Milk and brownies forever welcome!

He also enjoyed brûléeing the crème brûlée we made a few days ago. It’s nice to involve kids in the kitchen during the summer break. Beware though, the mess is yours to clean if you have teens like mine! He seems to be loving it. So does the elder sis. She baked the cocker a special doggie birthday cake a few days ago. I was skeptical. Needn’t have been. She had a blast and made it look so pretty! Baking is now a big option in the vacations!

Spending summer holidays away is another. These Chocolate Oat Walnut Brownies were for Calcutta, the city of joy! Not a planned vacation, but a weekend getaway to join Mr PAB who had work there. Another inspiring Indian city covered, another opportunity to experience a rich culture. O Calcutta … you are just so beautiful!

There’s been a lot of Bengali influence in my life of late. I was recently interviewed by Sananda magazine, the east Indian version of Femina, in an anniversary special. These days, Mr PAB regularly visits Calcutta on work, coming home laden with intriguing tales! I’ve also recently reviewed a Bengali cookbook cum food journey ‘Bong Moms Cookbook’ for a magazine. That brought the Bong culture and cuisine onto my table.

What are your plans these holidays? We’re halfway through the vacations here. Between internships and a theatre workshop, we’ve crossed the halfway mark. With Master Chef Oz around the corner, hopefully some culinary skills might get polished. Did I forget to mention some candid photography that the kids did too? They both get pretty trigger happy now and then!

Here are some simple recipes to get the kids into the kitchen with … Whole Wheat Dark Chocolate Brownies, Creme au Chocolat Shots, Minty Chickpea Yogurt Parfaits, Simplest & Best 2 ingredient Dark Chocolate Mousse, Whole Wheat & Oat Chocolate Chip Cookies, Vanilla Bean Chocolate Chip Wookies, Almond Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Buttercream, One Bowl Milk Chocolate Brownies, Strawberry Fro Yo

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Recipe: Chocolate Oat Walnut Brownies 

Summary: A simple one bowl recipe, these Chocolate Oat Walnut Brownies are perfect for kids to make in the kitchen. Healthy, gluten-free and moist, this offers yet another yummy dimension to the ever loved brownie!

Prep Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 40 minutes Ingredients:

• 100g butter
• 200 g milk choc
• 2 tbsp coffee {optional}
• 100g sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp baking powder
• pinch salt
• 50g Quaker oats
• 25g almond meal
• 75g walnuts, chopped
• 50g dark chocolate chips

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Line a square 8 X 8″ baking tin with parchment paper.
2. Place the butter and chocolate in a bowl and microwave for 1 minute {or simmer over a double boiler}. Whisk well until the chocolate has blended well. Add coffee if using, and whisk again.
3. Add the sugar and whisk well.
4. Whisk in the eggs, followed by the vanilla extract, then baking powder and salt.
5. Now fold in the oats and almond meal, followed by the dark chocolate chips and /or nuts if using. {Reserve a few chocolate chips to sprinkle on top of the batter if desired}
6. Turn batter into prepared tin, spread uniformly and bake for approximately 20-22 minutes.
7. Cool in tin, then remove gently and cut into squares.

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