Desperate times call for desperate measures. My neighbour Sarah came back from Morrisons yesterday dismayed that they've run out of her favourite chocolate curly wurlys! In times of crisis there's only one thing for it ... extra rich, extra thick, extra fudgey chocolate brownies. WITH chocolate sauce. Because you can never have enough. 

Raw cacao is great for our skin. Rich in antioxidants and a potent anti-inflammatory, it soothes redness and blemishes, working to improve the skin's texture. It's also rich in magnesium which has been shown to help manage stress and support sleep. Either an overload of stress or lack of sleep (they can often occur together) leads to dull, tired-looking skin. It's best to eat raw chocolate earlier in the day to build up magnesium stores, as its mild stimulating effects could affect your sleep if eaten late at night. Brownies for breakfast anyone?! 

INGREDIENTS 

100ml Warm almond chai (see method - 2 tbsp flax seeds + cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg & a chai tea bag) 

200g Buckwheat Flour (plain or gluten free flours will work too) 

100g Cacao powder 

75g Coconut sugar

Pinch of salt

1/2 tsp Baking powder 

150ml Coconut oil 

100ml Almond milk 

1/2 tsp Vanilla essense 

METHOD 

To make the warm almond chai, gently heat 100ml of milk, add a chai tea bag + 1/2 a teaspoon of each of the spices and the ground flaxseed. Stir until well dissolved. Remove tea bag

Add all the dry ingredients to a mixing bowl. Pour in the chai, oil and vanilla essence. Use a whisk to blend everything well. The mixture should be quite thick

Now slowly pour in the milk. Keep whisking and adding until the mixture is smooth enough to pour. It should stir be nice and thick. Pour into an ovenproof silicone square tray

Oven bake for 15 - 20 mins until a skewer comes out clean

Cool, cut into 9 squares and eat dry or drenched in chocolate sauce (coconut oil, maple syrup & cacao powder)