Happy International Women's Day!
Welcome to a very special post at The Harried Cook.
In today's post, I would like to introduce you to a campaign that a few of my friends have been working on. It is also an doubly special post (as you may have noticed in the title :p), because all the pictures in this post were taken by my friend, and one of the wonderful women working on this campaign, Zippora. She is a gorgeous woman, a great friend, a really fabulous photographer and is the mom of an absolutely adorable little two year old boy. You should check out her blog here. Why don't you leave her a comment, and let her know that I sent you? :)
On to these cookies.
Tell me this - how do you like your chocolate? White? Dark? Extra dark? I must say I often like my chocolate dark. To be honest, thanks to my sweet tooth, I am generally happiest with milk chocolate, but I love dark too. And I like my caramel dark! Mmmmmm dark caramel rocks my world!
When I think back to when I was growing up, dark chocolate was never popular. In fact, I am not sure it was even available. We only had regular, but delicious, milk chocolate and that was all we ever knew. But dark is very popular in India now.
But only when it comes to chocolate.
Not when it comes to skin color.
Millions of people in India grow up hearing, every single day, that they are not good enough because of the color of their skin. I have heard stories from my own friends about how they've been ridiculed at school, given mean nicknames, and how they've even been told by their own families, "Oh! How we wish you were fair!" It is tragic. Now, I am not fair by any standard. According to the Fairness Meter (oh yes, that is a real thing!), I am 'wheatish'. That means I am not fair, but I am not dark either. Whew. I dodged the bullet!
Things are getting worse! Everyday we are bombarded with advertisements for products claiming that they will make you fairer. But it doesn't stop there! Not only will you get fairer skin, you'll get the job, you'll make friends with the popular kids, you'll become a talented musician, you'll become a celebrity, you'll achieve great things in life and most importantly, you'll get the guy/girl that you've been in love with forever, but won't give you the time of day because you are not fair!
You can check out some of the fairness ads on YouTube and see for yourself how ridiculous they are. To normal people, these ads would be funny. I find them hilarious. But to people who have heard every day of their lives that they are dark, or lived through rejection, ridicule and torment because of their skin color, these ads would appear like a ray of hope. But none of these products can deliver what they promise.
Not. One. Of. Them.
I think the advertising industry needs to take more responsibility & be more aware messages they are sending out! They are setting people up for disappointment. Not just women. Men too!
I love this parody. It shows a fairness cream turns you into a blonde, white woman. Because that's what we all want to be, right? It's so funny how while on one side of the world, millions of fair skinned people are trying to get a tan, people with a naturally bronzed complexion, are trying to get fairer. Human nature?
The Dark is Beautiful campaign has been around since 2009. The main goal of this campaign is to try to make people realize that they ought to be comfortable in their own skins.
It is a lot harder than it sounds.
We are working against a mindset. We are working against an enormous industry. We are working against years, decades and possibly centuries of people telling you that you won't get far because of the way you look, or the color of your skin.
In my mind, Dark is Beautiful is not just about skin color issues. It speaks into every aspect of appearance. Short is beautiful. Curly hair is beautiful. Small eyes are beautiful. Dark hair is beautiful. Seriously people. Do we want to be clones of each other?
I believe God made each of us unique - in appearance, in personality, in the talents and abilities He has given us, and in the color of our skin. I believe that what we can achieve in life is determined by how hard we try, how hard we pray and how much of ourselves we put into what we do. Not by how we look. If the world has given an edge to the fairer, more 'perfect looking' people, let's take that edge back by raising our children to be confident in their skins!
And parents - don't make your kids feel anything less than gorgeous! Help them be the beautiful people God created them to be. It's part of your job.
Triple Dark Chocolate Cookies
Adapted from Annie's Eats
Ingredients
1 cup all purpose flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
8 oz. (227g) dark chocolate (or semi-sweet)
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1.5 tsp instant coffee granules
5 tbsp (70g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup chopped dark chocolate, or dark chocolate chips
Method
1. In a small bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Set aside
2. Melt the dark chocolate in a heat-proof bowl set over boiling water. Stir until smooth and molten. Set aside to cool. (You can also melt the chocolate in the microwave, but be very careful not to burn the chocolate. Nuke it 20 seconds at a time, stirring well between each 20 second interval.)
3. Whisk the eggs in a small bowl along with the vanilla and instant coffee granules. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, cream the until smooth and light.
5. Add in the sugars and beat for about 30 seconds
6. Add in the egg mixture and beat for about a minute. Don't worry if the mixture looks a little 'separated'.
7. Pour in the melted chocolate in a slow stream, beating continuously. Beat on low speed for a further 45 seconds until completely incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and beat for a further 20 seconds.
8. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until just incorporated. Don't over beat.
9. Using a spatula, stir in the chocolate chunks.
10. Set the bowl in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. I left mine in there over-night.
11. Preheat the oven to 180. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat.
12. Scoop out tablespoon sized balls of dough and place them about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Do not flatten the balls.
13. Bake for about 12 minutes until the sides are set but the centers are still soft.
14. Remove from the oven, and leave on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.
15. Store in an airtight cookie jar.
These cookies are delicious! Chewy, fudgy, intensely chocolate-y in every bite. I thought, and my friend agreed, that they taste like brownies in a cookie form. A real treat for chocolate lovers!
You can learn more about the Dark is Beautiful campaign by checking out the website, Facebook page and our first local celebrity-endorsed commercial that is going to be on television soon!
P.S. - When we say 'Dark is Beautiful', we are not saying that other colors are not! :) All the colors in the world are special and make the world a more beautiful place! It's just that 'Dark is Beautiful' sounds a lot nicer than 'Dark is also beautiful'! :) :)
Welcome to a very special post at The Harried Cook.
In today's post, I would like to introduce you to a campaign that a few of my friends have been working on. It is also an doubly special post (as you may have noticed in the title :p), because all the pictures in this post were taken by my friend, and one of the wonderful women working on this campaign, Zippora. She is a gorgeous woman, a great friend, a really fabulous photographer and is the mom of an absolutely adorable little two year old boy. You should check out her blog here. Why don't you leave her a comment, and let her know that I sent you? :)
Tell me this - how do you like your chocolate? White? Dark? Extra dark? I must say I often like my chocolate dark. To be honest, thanks to my sweet tooth, I am generally happiest with milk chocolate, but I love dark too. And I like my caramel dark! Mmmmmm dark caramel rocks my world!
When I think back to when I was growing up, dark chocolate was never popular. In fact, I am not sure it was even available. We only had regular, but delicious, milk chocolate and that was all we ever knew. But dark is very popular in India now.
Not when it comes to skin color.
Millions of people in India grow up hearing, every single day, that they are not good enough because of the color of their skin. I have heard stories from my own friends about how they've been ridiculed at school, given mean nicknames, and how they've even been told by their own families, "Oh! How we wish you were fair!" It is tragic. Now, I am not fair by any standard. According to the Fairness Meter (oh yes, that is a real thing!), I am 'wheatish'. That means I am not fair, but I am not dark either. Whew. I dodged the bullet!
Things are getting worse! Everyday we are bombarded with advertisements for products claiming that they will make you fairer. But it doesn't stop there! Not only will you get fairer skin, you'll get the job, you'll make friends with the popular kids, you'll become a talented musician, you'll become a celebrity, you'll achieve great things in life and most importantly, you'll get the guy/girl that you've been in love with forever, but won't give you the time of day because you are not fair!
You can check out some of the fairness ads on YouTube and see for yourself how ridiculous they are. To normal people, these ads would be funny. I find them hilarious. But to people who have heard every day of their lives that they are dark, or lived through rejection, ridicule and torment because of their skin color, these ads would appear like a ray of hope. But none of these products can deliver what they promise.
Not. One. Of. Them.
I think the advertising industry needs to take more responsibility & be more aware messages they are sending out! They are setting people up for disappointment. Not just women. Men too!
I love this parody. It shows a fairness cream turns you into a blonde, white woman. Because that's what we all want to be, right? It's so funny how while on one side of the world, millions of fair skinned people are trying to get a tan, people with a naturally bronzed complexion, are trying to get fairer. Human nature?
It is a lot harder than it sounds.
We are working against a mindset. We are working against an enormous industry. We are working against years, decades and possibly centuries of people telling you that you won't get far because of the way you look, or the color of your skin.
In my mind, Dark is Beautiful is not just about skin color issues. It speaks into every aspect of appearance. Short is beautiful. Curly hair is beautiful. Small eyes are beautiful. Dark hair is beautiful. Seriously people. Do we want to be clones of each other?
I believe God made each of us unique - in appearance, in personality, in the talents and abilities He has given us, and in the color of our skin. I believe that what we can achieve in life is determined by how hard we try, how hard we pray and how much of ourselves we put into what we do. Not by how we look. If the world has given an edge to the fairer, more 'perfect looking' people, let's take that edge back by raising our children to be confident in their skins!
And parents - don't make your kids feel anything less than gorgeous! Help them be the beautiful people God created them to be. It's part of your job.
Triple Dark Chocolate Cookies
Adapted from Annie's Eats
Ingredients
1 cup all purpose flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
8 oz. (227g) dark chocolate (or semi-sweet)
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1.5 tsp instant coffee granules
5 tbsp (70g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup chopped dark chocolate, or dark chocolate chips
Method
1. In a small bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Set aside
2. Melt the dark chocolate in a heat-proof bowl set over boiling water. Stir until smooth and molten. Set aside to cool. (You can also melt the chocolate in the microwave, but be very careful not to burn the chocolate. Nuke it 20 seconds at a time, stirring well between each 20 second interval.)
3. Whisk the eggs in a small bowl along with the vanilla and instant coffee granules. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, cream the until smooth and light.
5. Add in the sugars and beat for about 30 seconds
6. Add in the egg mixture and beat for about a minute. Don't worry if the mixture looks a little 'separated'.
7. Pour in the melted chocolate in a slow stream, beating continuously. Beat on low speed for a further 45 seconds until completely incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and beat for a further 20 seconds.
8. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until just incorporated. Don't over beat.
9. Using a spatula, stir in the chocolate chunks.
10. Set the bowl in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. I left mine in there over-night.
11. Preheat the oven to 180. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat.
12. Scoop out tablespoon sized balls of dough and place them about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Do not flatten the balls.
13. Bake for about 12 minutes until the sides are set but the centers are still soft.
14. Remove from the oven, and leave on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.
15. Store in an airtight cookie jar.
You can learn more about the Dark is Beautiful campaign by checking out the website, Facebook page and our first local celebrity-endorsed commercial that is going to be on television soon!
Love the photographs? I know I do! Don't forget to check out Zippora's blog, and tell her what a great job she's done!
Tell me - has skin color discrimination affected you or someone close to you? How has this impacted you? I would love to hear your stories and thoughts!
I am submitting this entry for the Stayfree Time to Change contest which encourages you to speak out about change you would like to see in the world around you.
You can learn more about this contest here on their Facebook page!
I am submitting this entry for the Stayfree Time to Change contest which encourages you to speak out about change you would like to see in the world around you.
You can learn more about this contest here on their Facebook page!
