Rainy day baking: Nigella's Everyday Brownies with white chocolate and caramel

I'm putting it out there that these are the best brownies that I have ever made/eaten. That's a very bold statement, I know. But if you try this then you'll agree with me - I promise! I cannot take credit for a single ounce of this recipe though, it comes from a fellow blogger. Rosie from Cider With Rosie, who got it from a Nigella Lawson cookbook. 

As Rosie says, it's a completely foolproof recipe that takes such a short amount of time to make and bake - minimal washing up too which is always a big bonus in my eyes. They are perfectly gooey and moist (what a word... MOIST!), highly indulgent and really don't cost that much to make. 

I'll leave a link here to the full recipe and how to do it, as her blog is just too beautiful not to look at. The only thing I did differently was putting the Galaxy bar on after all the mixture was in the tray - it turned out exactly the same and just made it easier for me.

Whilst buying the chocolate yesterday in Tesco I was told by the lady at the checkout to try toblerone in a brownie, so that'll be my next mission. 

I wish that I could have taken beautiful "how-to" pictures, but unfortunately I tend to leave a bit of a whirlwind in the kitchen... 

Anyway, I seriously think you should try this brownie recipe - you won't regret it! If you do, be sure to tweet me pictures to @jemmainwords or tag me on Instagram 'jemmainwords'! 

Pukka Peppermint and Licourice Tea

 I am such a herbal tea lover - I usually go for the Green Tea with a fruit flavour (apple and pear is usually my favourite). However, when I was browsing the shelves of my local supermarket I found these, and to say I instantly fell in love is the biggest understatement ever. I'd been wanting to try a liquorice tea for a very long time and it just seemed like fate.

Pukka was a brand that I'd never heard of, and so that made me want to try them even more. They were also on offer and so were around £1.99 and so I really couldn't say no. The box comes with 20, individually sealed, tea bags in a very beautiful box. It's pretty self-explanatory, but I boil the kettle and fill my favourite mug with the hot water, then add in the tea bag and let it steep for around 5-10 minutes. At this point you can take the teabag out - I like to keep it in though so that the flavour continues to pack a punch. I've also been known to let this tea go cold and enjoy it on a hot summers day with a lot of ice - refreshing, easy and different drink to cool down with!

Unlike the herbal teas I had tried before, this tea had a lot of flavour and natural sweetness that just made it so refreshing and wonderful to drink. The flavour itself has a lot of natural sweetness from the liquorice and yet the peppermint cuts through leaving a fresh flavour on the palette.

Alongside its heavenly taste, there are many health benefits to this tea. The liquorice in the tea makes it a very mild laxative (always helpful to keep you regular *cringes*), helps as a mild natural anti-depressant, and can be used to help with low blood pressure. The peppermint element makes it a natural relaxant (perfect before bed), soothes the stomach, and can improve the immune system. If all these benefits don't sway you then I don't know what will.

Lastly, Pukka tea is made in accordance to fairtrading standards and using such good herbal ingredients. their website has their full range of teas and they have all the health benefits of the teas. I can't wait to try more of these teas - they're incredible teas and an incredible company!

Pukka Tea's website