"Let's face it, a nice creamy chocolate cake does a lot for a lot of people; it does for me."

- Audrey Hepburn

Look, as much as I say I’m a perfectionist, I don’t believe in perfection. It’s a myth. There’s no such thing as perfection. Though there may be synonyms out there available (the paragon, the ideal, the bee’s knees, etc.), even the word “perfection” can’t be matched 100%. I’m not a linguist, for sure, but this is my two pence on the matter. Perfection is that ultimate goal that everyone tries to live by, to reach, to hone… but we all end up disappointed, surely. Things can be great. Outcomes can be fantastic. Everything is as it should be. But to the point of perfection? I highly doubt it. You know why? Because life is meant to be messy and fun and somewhat great and totally out of this world and redundant and just okay. That’s all okay, too. It’s a sign of life well lived—having all that commotion, thrill and utter confusion, but you thrive along.

Okay, I won’t philosophise here much longer. I’m definitely not Plato or Socrates, but my point is, we can’t achieve perfection. We can achieve great and if we try enough and not settle for pretty good results, we may even attain greater. You feel me? This is why I don’t settle. I try things. I have endless favourites. I can’t make up my mind sometimes on something that seems so fundamental. Ask me what my favourite book is and I’ll give you a doe-eyed look. It may even leave with with the impression that I don’t read at all (which is complete bollocks because books are life). But, now, you may even begin to understand why, although I completely love my vegan avocado recipe, I just had to experiment with other recipes. The original was great, but perhaps, I have found something greater. (This sounds like a breakup speech…)

Fat in baking is essential. Some people might disagree with me on this, but this is my opinion. Try taking the fat out of baking and you’ll end up with a cake that’s gummy. Sure, it’s edible, but it’ll leave your mouth questioning what it has ever done to you. Unless you’re baking with 3 pounds of butter plus cream and all that jazz, a little fat never did hurt nobody.

If you’ve ever baked avocado brownies using my original recipes multiple times, you’ll notice that the texture can vary a lot. I’ve experienced it whilst using the same ingredients with the same measurements, although under different emotional circumstances. But there are days when the brownies turn very gooey, or at other times very cake-y. I just wanted a brownie recipe that tasted delicious, but would yield the same result each time. Is that too much to ask?

When I first stumbled upon the recipe of The Pastry Affair, I was curious. Oil? Really? Did I need it on top of the avocado? I tried this recipe and I was over the moon. It was fantastic! The brownies were gooey, soft with a bit of a crunch on the edges. It’s also rather cool watching the foaming action when you add the vinegar with the baking soda (oh, hello, Science fair). I made some modifications, as per usual. See below recipe with my changes. This is simply because baking is such an unpredictable endeavour. I like to eyeball and look at how dry/wet the batter is. It’s very important. Sometimes, 1/4 cup of liquid is all you need, sometimes you’ll need all the 3/4 cup of water. The softness and size of your avocado affect the batter as well. But overall, I’ll give this recipe a good 9/10. I’m sure there’s a better avocado brownie recipe out there. Who knows, perhaps you’ve yet to think it!


Avocado Brownies (adapted from The Pastry Affair)
Serves 9-16

Ingredients:

• 1 avocado, mashed
• 1/4 cup canola oil or melted coconut oil
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 2 tsp white vinegar
• 1/4 cup to 3/4 cup water (make sure at room temperature if using coconut oil)
• 1/2 cup of dark chocolate chips, optional

Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8x8 pan with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, mash avocado. Then, add and mix oil. Once smooth, add in flour, cacao powder, sugar, baking soda, salt, water and vinegar. Mix until smooth. Check the consistency of your batter. Add in more water if it’s too thick. Fold in chocolate chips.

Pour the batter into prepared pan. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Let cool before slicing. If over baked, the brownies will have a cake-like consistency.

Enjoy! xx