Edited by: Aneesha Chandra (UG 21)
It was a quiet Saturday evening. Eerily quiet, I should say. As if Mother Nature was eagerly waiting to see what concoction I was going to cook up. I am a terrible cook. The last time I tried to make something, it was a disaster — even though I used an instant cake mix.
After the initial confusion of “where’s the butter?” I was ready to bake.
Life Lesson #1
Always be prepared. Keep everything ready and in place before going ahead. In this case, it was the butter. “Well begun is half done.”
Life Lesson #2
Have a Plan B. Don’t have full-fat milk? Use regular. Life throws surprises at you every now and then. Be prepared to face them.
Life Lesson #3
Never settle for anything less than the best. If your batter is too thick or thin, make sure you find a way to change it to your liking. Being average isn’t good enough. If you aim for the stars, you’ll at least reach the treetops.
Life Lesson #4
Only half a teaspoon of vanilla essence needs to be added. But it makes a huge difference to the batter. In life, even the smallest of actions can make a difference to other people. So, the next time your friend asks you to proofread her essay, don’t whine about it. Chances are they’ll remember that you didn’t complain.
Life Lesson #5
All that glitters isn’t gold, but if you can make it glitter, why don’t you? Sometimes the way something is presented makes a difference. Gordon Ramsey said it best:”You eat with your eyes, before you taste with your mouth”.
Life Lesson #6
The fruits of your labour are sweet. That feeling when you finally get to dig into that chocolatey, buttery goodness is amazing. If you put enough work into something, it almost always turns out the way you wanted it to — and even if it doesn’t, you tried your best. And sometimes that’s enough.
Life Lesson #7
For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Had fun cooking? Well now you have to wash the dishes. If you’re lucky, you’ll have someone like my mom to help you out.
Life Lesson #8
It’s the little things in life that bring you the most happiness. Spontaneous things. Things like waking up in the morning and deciding to cook. It brings joy to other people too.
Life Lesson #9 (My personal favorite)
Life is too short to live eating only healthy food. Occasionally, eat pudding or a loaded ice cream cone with tons of butter and sugar. Sure, you’re putting yourself at risk of a variety of lifestyle diseases, but hey, after all, you only live once.
What it should have looked like:
How it actually turned out:
Recipe for Biscuit Pudding:
Ingredients:
Chocolate Buttercream
350g unsalted butter
350g – 400g sifted icing sugar confectioner’s sugar
70g sifted cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla
¼ tsp salt
3 tbsp brandy
1 tbsp cream
Milk mixture
1 cup of warm milk (not hot)
2 tbsp brandy
2 packets of Marie Biscuits
8 x 4 inch bread loaf pan lined with plastic wrap
To decorate
Chopped roasted cashews
Chocolate sauce
Instructions:
-
Place the butter, icing sugar, and salt in a bowl and mix on low until well-combined.
-
Add the cocoa powder, and mix again on low until mixed through. Then turn mixer to medium speed and mix until light and fluffy.
-
Add vanilla and brandy and mix again until well-incorporated, and still soft and fluffy.
-
Spread a thin layer of chocolate buttercream on the bottom of your lined loaf pan.
-
Add the milk and brandy to a separate bowl. Then place a few cookies in milk for no more than 3-5 seconds. Place these cookies in a layer over the buttercream.
-
Spread another layer of chocolate buttercream, followed by the milky cookies.
-
Repeat until you reach the top, and end with a layer of cookies. There should be some leftover buttercream to decorate the outside of the cake.
-
Cover and let it chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours or overnight.