Food Time: Chocolate Oreo Loaf

Chocolate Oreo Loaf Recipe

A friend and I wanted to bake cookies the other week, so naturally, we just googled a recipe, and followed it. One thing: I didn't have any plain flour, so we just used self raising, considering there was baking powder in the original recipe too. As it was cooking, the middle was cooking a lot slower than the outside, and eventually, I had to get it out of the oven, otherwise it would burn! The outcome wasn't what we were expecting, a gooey cookie dough consistency in the middle with a crunchy crust. We left it to cool, and though still gooey in the middle, it tasted amazing!

Want to find out how to make this yummy recipe?! Look no further for a gooey chocolate chip oreo loaf!  

Ingredients: 

                   Brown Sugar                        260g

                  Butter                               85g

                  Eggs                                 x3

              Vanilla Essence                       1 tsp

             Self Raising Flour                      320g

 Oreo Cookies (or a cheaper alternative)      1 pack

White chocolate buttons (or chips)         70g

    Chocolate buttons (or chips)              70g

Instructions: 

Step 1: Pre-heat the oven to 160 degrees Celsius. 

Step 2: Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl, by hand or with a mixer

Step 3: Add in the eggs and vanilla, and stir until smooth

Step 4: Add the flour in a bit at a time, and making it easier to fold

 Step 5: Crush the Oreos and add a majority to the mix, leaving some to sprinkle on top. We did it by keeping the packet closed and crushing them using a glass.  

Step 6: Weigh out the chocolate buttons/chips. If you use buttons, they will need breaking up. An easy way to do this is pile a few up, and break them as if you're breaking a bar of chocolate. Then add a majority to the batter, leaving some for the topping, and mix in.

Step 7: Line a pyrex dish or baking tin with foil, bearing in mind the dough will rise, so don't use a loaf style baking tin

Step 8: Pack the mixture into the pyrex dish, using your fingers to press it into the corners. Then add the topping of left over Oreos and chocolate chips. 

Step 9: Put in the oven for 35-45 minutes. If it's still gooey in the middle, that's normal! When out of the oven let it cool off for 15 minutes

Step 10: ENJOY! You can either eat them fresh, or freeze them for a later date!

Happy baking!

Review Time: How To Be Prepared

REVIEW TIME


For a majority of the architecture students at my uni, the last week was a grueling, stressful nightmare, fighting time to finish our projects. Studying architecture, for every project we have a final review and for those who don't know, this is when our studio tutors critique our response to a brief which the whole year is given. I found that I coped pretty well with the deadline, but I know that people using computers to draw up their designs struggled, especially when they were new to the software.

Throughout the reviews you could definitely tell who struggled and who was prepared, and I'm not going to lie, my mind got a bit sidetracked and started thinking how people could have avoided this. I know that being organized isn't as simple for some than it is others, but I feel that by reminding myself of certain things I need to do, people in similar positions might benefit (maybe somewhat?!).

Things I do to prepare myself, usually in this order are...

1) Write a list of things I need to do 
You can never have enough scrap paper set aside for lists

2) Set reasonable achievements
If you think something will take a certain time, add some more time, it'll usually take longer with procrastination and all

3) Keep up with your course mates
Living with other architect students who all work at different paces, I find that knowing I'm at the same level as someone else re-assures me that I will finish in time

4) Tick things off of your list!
When I see how much I've achieved I feel really good about myself

5) Eat healthy (and don't stop taking vitamins!)
If a deadline is approaching, you don't need to be ill and spending a day in bed, getting more stressed about the work you need to do

6) Get a good nights sleep & get some me-time
When we're tired, we don't want to make decisions, we just want to sleep. Also, you don't want to present your project zombie-style


Those are the things which I have found keep me sane when coming up to a review or an important deadline, and I know everyone works different and these are probably things people have said before, but they really do work!! 

If all else fails, at least be proud and confident about the end result, then you can fool anyone.

Simples!

Instagram of Final Review Layout