As with most traditions the roots of Valentine’s Day can be traced back hundreds of years to Pagan history and the ritualistic celebration of nature. For Catholics, the 14th of February commemorates the martyrdom of Saint Valentine, who was a Roman priest beheaded in the third century; there is conflicting information on exactly what he did or why he was executed. It seems to me that the story of Saint Valentine and Pagan ritual has overtime entwined and connected the story of a saint with the advent of spring.
Showing someone you care
Love hearts, chocolates, cards and the colour red will be seen in abundance in the shops over the coming weeks. This is all very well, but I tend to think there is a deeper meaning that hasn’t been captured by the high street.
The 14th of February can be an opportunity to show appreciation for friends, families, significant others and anyone else you might love. Of course, we should and can do this every day of the year. Perhaps Valentine’s Day could be the day that you show someone a random act of kindness? Or you could send that little card or a flower to a person that you see in your day-to-day life, who you want to show you have noticed in the world and that you appreciate their presence.
Get baking!
Food is a great way of showing someone your appreciation.
So, in the spirit of Valentine’s and sharing the love, here is a gooey brownie recipe made with mindful ingredients.
Perhaps if you are visiting a loved one in a Nellsar Care Home on Valentine’s Day you could take a batch with you and offer them around!
Ultimate Love-filled Fudgy Brownies
These are the ultimate love filled fudgy brownies! With only one bowl, they are so easy to make and they turn out so goeey and fudgy. Being mindful of sugar content and allergies they are gluten free, dairy free and refined sugar free, ingredients like almond butter and just a little bit of coconut flour are used.
Ingredients
- 1 cup creamy almond butter
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs + 1 egg yolk
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoon coconut flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 dark chocolate baking bar chopped
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line and grease a square baking pan (8×8 or 9×9 inch) with parchment paper nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the almond butter, coconut sugar, maple syrup, vanilla extract, eggs and egg yolk until smooth and well combined. Gently fold in cocoa powder, coconut flour, salt and baking soda until there are no clumps. Fold in 1/3 cup chocolate chips or chopped chocolate into the batter. The batter will be thick.
Pour and spread batter evenly into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until knife inserted into the middle comes out mostly clean (some crumbs are okay). Be careful not to overbake!
Remove and cool on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes. Grab parchment paper on the sides and lift the brownies out of the pan to cool completely.
Sources:
https://whatmollymade.com/fudgy-paleo-brownies/#_a5y_p=6748914
