The Lazy Girl's Guide to Cooking - Chocolate, Fudgy, Brownie Cake in a Mug

Otherwise known as How To Make a Brownie in the Microwave!

I make no secret of the fact that I am a lazy girl. A lazy girl who is not too keen on cooking. But on occasion, when need be, I can step-up in the kitchen and cook a thing or two. It's not that I'm a bad cook, I just don't like cooking as much as I do eating. And I hate cleaning even more!
cooking with two kids under two meme
She's too lazy to cook dinner but not too lazy to make her own meme!
When I do cook it's always something simple and easy. Scrambled eggs. Baked potatoes. Roast lamb (when you've roasted as many legs of lamb as I have it's easy!). Slow cooked lamb stews. Weet-bix-crusted lamb cutlets (are you sensing a theme here, and my favourite meat?!). I make quick and easy desserts. Brownies. Strawberry Mini-muffins. Mars Bar Slice. Mini chocolate and caramel tarts. And I've never met a packet mix I couldn't make my friend, especially since having kids!

So when I realised that the parenting morning tea that I sometimes go to was on tomorrow I panicked a little because I didn't have anything to take. Thank god for a packet lemon cake mix I've had sitting in the back of the pantry. I whipped that bad boy up in to some mini-lemon-cupcakes (I like desserts mini ok!) and a crisis was averted.
Oh yeah, I made that packet mix my bitch! Would you check out those muffin tops!
Sunday night however I was craving chocolate and I was starving! To steal a term from the Hunger Games, I was having a "hollow day". Didn't matter how much I ate, I was still hungry and feeling hollow. After having dinner some hours ago I was still feeling hungry and craving something a little naughty. I've been pretty good with the whole "operation lose baby weight" thing so figured I could afford to treat myself a little. And Dave was at work so there was no one to stop me!

What I really wish I had was a Donna Hay Brownie packet mix, that shit is the bomb! But alas I did not, so cue frantic searching on the web for mug brownie recipes. I knew I had some 85% cocoa Lindt chocolate in the cupboard and figured that would do in place of actual cocoa, and I could make my own self-raising flour with the plain wholemeal flour and baking powder I did have.

There are heaps of brownie/chocolate cake in a mug recipes on the net but I ended up using this one I found on Kidspot. When I say I used "about" this much of each ingredient it's because I wasn't measuring very accurately. It turned out pretty good though, although it was quite fudgy, so if you like your brownies like that then you'll like this. I also broke up an extra square of chocolate and dropped it in to the mixture, my own version of chocolate chips! It definitely needed some ice cream to go with it though, to break up the chocolatey-fudginess of it all, but sadly there was no ice cream in the house. Adding a tablespoon of milk was a poor, poor substitute, just so you know!

My Mug Brownie Recipe

My totally scientific and accurate mug brownie recipe. I should be on Masterchef don't ya think?!
It made a pretty huge serve though so I think if I make it again i'll halve the quantities. I'll also reduce the sugar (I used raw) by a third as I found it a bit too sweet for me (the beauty of not eating a lot of sweets since being on the gestational diabetes diet), and I'll try it with milk and butter too I think. You know, just for the fun of it. I'm also starting to think I might try it with some almond meal instead of flour and see how that turns out. Could be interesting. And I like to live dangerously.

The most important thing though about this recipe is that it was fast, simple and easy. Everything the lazy girl likes in her cooking. Feel free to pin the shit out of this and try it for yourself but be warned: I take no responsibility for how it turns out. If it's shit don't blame me, blame the internet! And your microwave!

And make sure you have some ice cream to have with it!

Linking this shit up with Essentially Jess coz it's Tuesday people, and I always blog on Tuesday! And say shit a lot, apparently.

Comments

Kylie Purtell said…
I say shit a lot too - someone needs to do a study into that...
Kylie Purtell said…
Oh my God! How good does that look? Since quitting sugar I can't eat much of the stuff. I'd probs go into a sugar coma if I ate it. That won't stop me from giving it a shot though. I'm the same as you, not a fan of cooking and cleaning, but a fan of eating :)
Kylie Purtell said…
Love this - i hate cooking and am totally a lazy girl in the kitchen when i can! The one thing i rarely do though is wing it - i don't want to have to stress about whether something will work so i am a recipe girl - i will wing things i have made a dozen or more times lol and bolognaise cause anything works when you throw it in there (probably why i also like making stir fries - toss and stir and good to go)
Kylie Purtell said…
OMG yum. I needs me some o' that. I've never had a brownie in a mug! What the hell planet have I been on??
Kylie Purtell said…
I love making quick and easy desserts! Check out my microwave bread pudding recipe here too.. I think you might enjoy it ;p -> http://www.sakuraharuka.com/2013/06/quick-strawberry-bread-pudding.html

Ai @ Sakura Haruka
Kylie Purtell said…
Yum. I make a self saucing chocolate pudding too for when the urge to eat chocolate overtakes me. Love the microwave mug idea though, straight in the dishwasher!
Kylie Purtell said…
Yes I've made this. Delicious!
Kylie Purtell said…
That is very clever of you Ky - I'm too lazy to do even do that, I would just put the chocolate, water and sugar in my mouth and shake about and swallow! Seriously though good enough and those muffins tops, they might even rival the one that is hanging over my shorts as we speak! xx
Kylie Purtell said…
I love that term "hollow day". It is me all the time at the moment!! Will be trying this recipe for sure.
Kylie Purtell said…
I do like these make in a mug ideas!
Although I would like them even more if I didn't have to clean the mug afterwards ;)
Kylie Purtell said…
Kylie, i love this recipe http://thenutritionguruandthechef.wordpress.com/2012/06/01/winter-warmer-chocolate-mug-pudding-quick-easy-and-low-sugar/

I'm telling you because they say you can use almond meal and there are less sugar also in this recipe. I tried it many times and I love it.
Kylie Purtell said…
There was little baking when I had 2 under 2. Only now am I getting time to bake/ cook... and that is because I don't work, my children are in day care 2 days a week, and I have an au pair! Cooking from scratch with 2 kids under 2- ain't nobody got time for that! Embrace packet mixes x
Kylie Purtell said…
I found a recipe (which I stupidly didn't pin) for a microwave self saucing pudding and it was delish. Love recipes that are simple!
Kylie Purtell said…
We love MIM's (Muffin in a mug) and have them for breakfast or an evening treat. The first one we tried was horrible and tasted like a combination of porridge and scrambled eggs. Thankfully we've found some really yummy ones now.
Kylie Purtell said…
Was it a chocolate one or a golden syrup one? We make both regularly and love them.
Kylie Purtell said…
Will have to show my sugar addicted 13 year old daughter who will adore this! She's always after a quick sugar snack and one in a cup - perfect!
Kylie Purtell said…
When that craving speaks you can't hear anything else. Awwwww! Why didn't I check your blog before making my own chocolate disaster? Yours looks much much nicer :)
Kylie Purtell said…
They so do, it's a problem I tell ya!
Kylie Purtell said…
It was pretty good I have to say. Definitely will cut down on the sugar if I make it again, it was way too sweet for me these days.

I hate cleaning at the best of times but cleaning after cooking is the worst!
Kylie Purtell said…
Stir fries are the ultimate lazy girl dinner, on the rare occasion that I do bother to cook I often make a stir fry coz they are just so easy and require next to no thought or effort and there is only one pan to clean at the end!
Kylie Purtell said…
I don't know what planet but you should definitely get off it and join planet brownie in a mug, its awesome!
Kylie Purtell said…
That looks great Ai, I am definitely going to have to give that a try!
Kylie Purtell said…
Um, self-saucing? Yes please! Do you have a link to the recipe, I'd love to try it!
Kylie Purtell said…
Hahaha, my sister used to make chocolate milkshakes like that, milk and chocolate topping poured straight in to her mouth! Mum wasn't too impressed when she caught her doing it though!
Kylie Purtell said…
It's the perfect description for that breastfeeding hunger, no matter how much you eat you're left still needing more!
Kylie Purtell said…
I don't know how you survive without a dishwasher. If we didn't have a dishwasher we would probably subsist on takeaway!
Kylie Purtell said…
Thanks for sharing Rita, it looks awesome, I am definitely going to give this a go. And the fact you can use almond meal is awesome!
Kylie Purtell said…
Packet mixes for the win I say! I must say it was diecy trying to get the baking done, both girls were crying by the end of it! I will definitely be waiting awhile before I attempt it again!
Kylie Purtell said…
The idea of a self-saucing pudding has me salivating. I am on a mission to find one now!
Kylie Purtell said…
Muffin in a mug for breakfast sounds like a great idea! I'm gonna have to give that a try too!
Kylie Purtell said…
It really hit the spot and is so easy and mostly mess-free.
Kylie Purtell said…
Its like a drumming in the ear, the sugar craving! You can't get away from it..............
Kylie Purtell said…
So easy. I think you could do it in the microwave too. http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/12447/chocolate+self+saucing+pudding

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