I’m a huge fan of chocolate. I love it for both its nutritional benefits (particularly its mineral content, flavonoids and antioxidants) and its therapeutic effects, both physiological and emotional.
Chocolate, or more accurately cacao, is rich in magnesium and manganese, with good levels of iron and copper. It also contains theobromine, an alkaloid responsible for chocolate’s characteristic bitterness. Theobromine has been linked to benefits such as improved heart health, enhanced mood, and improved cognitive function.
If you’re looking to chocolate as a health food, the higher the cocoa solids, the greater the benefits. A little every now and then can be a wonderful addition to an already healthy diet.
As a chef, I’m equally devoted to chocolate for its flavour, versatility, and the sheer joy it brings to the person eating it. The recipes below are by no means "health foods", but they are reliable, comforting staples, that you can return to again and again when the need for a chocolate treat arises.
With back-to-school upon us, both of these are perfect lunchbox staples and, when stored correctly, will last the entire school or work week.
The perfect everyday brownie
This brownie is the brownie. It’s carried me through nearly a decade of cafes. It’s gluten free, easily made vegan (see adaptations below), endlessly adaptable, and always dependable.
It lasts a full week in an airtight container in the fridge, freezes beautifully, and is just as good eaten straight from the fridge as it is gently warmed and served with berries and cream for an easy but impressive dessert. Kids love it, it’s sturdy enough for lunchboxes, and it never lets you down.
I’ve tested this with every kind of chocolate imaginable. From cheap bulk-bin buttons to very expensive couverture. They all work, with slightly different results. For everyday affordability, compound buttons are absolutely fine. For a celebration or special dessert, upgrading to something like Whittaker’s takes it to another level.
This is a large batch, designed so you can keep half for the week and freeze the rest. If you’d prefer a smaller bake, simply halve the recipe and use a 19 x 28cm slice tin.
Ingredients
250g butter
250g chocolate
660g white sugar
225g gluten-free flour
70g cocoa
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
½ tsp salt
6 eggs
Optional additions (see below)
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Butter and line a 34 x 24 cm baking tray.
Very gently melt the butter and chocolate together in a saucepan, stirring to prevent the chocolate catching on the bottom. Once melted, remove from the heat and allow to cool for about 10 minutes.
In a large bowl or electric mixer, combine all the dry ingredients and whisk well. Add the melted butter and chocolate mixture, followed by the eggs and vanilla, and beat until very smooth. The batter will be very runny, that’s exactly what you want.
Pour into the prepared tray, dot with any additions if using, and bake for 35 minutes (30 minutes for the half-size batch). Remove from the oven and allow to set as it cools.
This brownie is best left overnight before cutting, though a few hours in the fridge is also fine.
Cut into desired sizes and store in an airtight container in the fridge or on the bench. For freezing, place portions in a zip-lock bag and freeze.
Additions
Once the base is poured into the tin, you can add almost anything to change the flavour: Caramel, white chocolate, chocolate chips, cacao nibs, berries (add an extra 5-10 minutes baking time if using frozen berries), plums, nuts, pretzels, peanut butter, Biscoff, cookie dough — go wild!
Variations
• Vegan: Replace butter with a dairy-free alternative or 250 ml oil. Use dairy-free chocolate and substitute the eggs with 6 flax eggs.
• Peppermint: Replace vanilla with 2 tsp peppermint extract and add chopped peppermint chocolate.
• Orange: Replace vanilla with 2 tsp orange extract and add finely grated orange zest.
• Rose: Replace vanilla with 3 tsp rosewater and add chopped Turkish delight.
• Coffee: Dissolve 1 Tbsp instant coffee granules in 1 Tbsp hot water and use in place of the vanilla.
Toppings
These brownies are so adaptable. Whipped vanilla cream cheese icing with peanut butter is a favourite. Mascarpone with a dusting of cocoa is beautiful. Caramel sauce, whipped cream, ice cream, berries — make it your own.
The perfect everyday chocolate cake
This is my go-to chocolate cake: super moist, long-lasting, and ideal for lunchboxes or dressing up for a celebration. I like adding a little ginger and cinnamon, something I learned from my grandma, but if that’s not your thing, just leave them out.
The cake freezes well, iced or un-iced. This recipe makes two shallow round cakes, perfect for layering or freezing one for later.
Ingredients
2½ cups plain flour
2 cups caster sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1½ cups cocoa powder
4 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup light olive oil
4 eggs
2 cups milk
2 cups hot (not boiling) water
1 Tbsp white vinegar (don’t forget it!)
2 Tbsp vanilla extract
Method
Preheat the oven to 170°C. Butter and line two springform cake tins.
Sift all the dry ingredients into a large bowl and whisk until evenly combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and oil. In another bowl, mix the milk, hot water, vinegar and vanilla.
Add both wet mixtures to the dry ingredients and mix very well. Pour into the prepared tins and bake for approximately 40 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.
Allow to cool completely before icing with this simple chocolate icing for lunch boxes, or I suggest a rich chocolate cream cheese icing for special occasions.
Simple chocolate icing
Ingredients
100g butter, softened
2 cups icing sugar, sifted
¼ cup cocoa powder, sifted
1 tsp vanilla extract
1-2 tsp boiling water
Method
Add the softened butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until pale and creamy.
Add the icing sugar and cocoa powder and mix on low speed until just combined. Once incorporated, increase the speed to medium and beat until smooth.
Add the vanilla and 1 tsp hot water then beat until silky and spreadable. Add a little more liquid ( a tiny bit at a time) if needed until you reach a thick but glossy consistency.
Spread over a completely cooled cake and decorate with edible flowers, sprinkles or chocolate chips.
