The microwave. A common appliance and a staple in college dorms. It is a great tool for heating up ramen, pizza rolls, popcorn and other snacks for college kids for many years. But what else can you make with it? I have a super easy and delicious recipe that can be made in under 10 minutes. But first, a little history on the microwave. Microwaves were first invented for use in World War two, but not in the way you may think. Unlike the common use we see today, they were actually used to create radar! It wasn’t until 1955 that the microwaves meant to cook food in the homes of consumers came on the market. They were first shown to people as an easy way to cook things like steak and potatoes. The idea was that you could cook anything you wanted, however, at this point almost no one could afford them since they were the equivalent of $11,000! About ten years later, they made ones that were actually affordable. Ever since the 1970s, they have been a widespread staple in people’s kitchens and dorm rooms. Now, here is a recipe for my mug brownie…
Mug Brownie
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
As needed, water
1 tablespoon peanut butter (optional)
Cooking spray
Directions:
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Spray a mug with lots of cooking spray. We don’t want it to stick!
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Mix up the dry ingredients in the mug. Be careful to make sure there are no pockets of hidden flour.
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Add the oil and mix it up. It should be pretty dry at this point.
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Now add the water. Start with a little bit at first, then keep adding slowly until it looks like the consistancy of a batter.
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If you want to make it a peanut butter one, take a spoonful of peanut butter and put it into the middle of the brownie, covering it up with batter. (hint: it should be really covered. My brownie in the picture has peanut butter and you can’t see it at all!) This also works with nutella!
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Microwave it for 2 minutes, or until it springs back when you touch it with a spoon or fork. CAREFUL! The mug will heat up and will burn you, so makke sure you have a towel or pot holder to take it out!
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Enjoy! You can either put it on a plate or just enjoy it straight out of the mug.
Even if we don’t use microwaves for everything like they did back in the 70s, there are still cool things to make besides just reheating things. With a little creativity, and searching online there are a lot of easy recipes for things like cakes, crisps and even flan! It’s a nice way to have a little treat. Have fun with it!