So a new school year has started over here at the other end of the world.
Summer break has ended, there is no more time for the beach and all the kids are back at school, with their silly uniforms and backpacks.
For me, that means the beginning of culinary school and a patisserie course!
Starting this course, I feel like I am going back to high school. After one year off travelling and three years of college, it is a rude shock. I was self-sufficient in college. I never went to lectures. I went to 4 one-hour tutorials a week and did whatever I wanted the rest of the time. All I needed to buy was notebooks and a pen, and some textbooks. I was in control of my studies, and all I needed to do was my assignments; writing essays basically.
This course is a whole different ballgame. I had to buy a uniform all over again (chef’s whites this time, but still). I had to buy a toolkit full of baking goodies (that part I was super excited about) and there are lots of rules again, like when I was in high school. Rules about what I can wear, how I wear my uniform, representing the school and my behaviour in my chef’s whites, my jewellery, how I do my hair… Like I said, I feel like I’m in high school all over again. And the hours! 3 full days per week.
The difference? This time, I’m looking forward to going, and to learning, because I love to bake, I love being in the kitchen.
As I started culinary school, my brother started high school. Unlike in America and Europe, there are only two stages of school here; 7 years of primary school and 6 years of high school. So this is a big step. I went with him to buy his uniform, I laughed a little on the first day as he tried to put his huge school backpack full of books on his back, I listened as he acted all cool afterwards, telling me all about his first day and his new friends.
What does all these have to do with brownies? Well, my brother fell in love with these Easy Nutella Brownie Cups and asks me to make them ALL the time. And Maltesers are his favourite movie-watching snack, so I combined the two and made him little Malt Ball Nutella Brownies.
Because he was starting high school, and all that. And because sometimes I need to be a nice sister, and all that.
LITTLE MALT BALL NUTELLA BROWNIES
Brownies adapted from Abby Dodge.
1 cup Nutella (280g, 10 oz)
2 eggs
10 tbsp plain flour
pinch of salt
60 malt balls
Preheat the oven to 180 C and line a 12 hole muffin pan with cupcake liners.
In a small bowl, combine the Nutella, eggs, flour and salt.
Divide the brownie mixture evenly between the cupcake liners, about 1 tablespoon in each.
Press 4 malt balls deep into each brownie, and place 1 on top.
Bake for 10-12 minutes. Makes 12 brownies.