Tonight, from Manchester, I raise my bowl of salad to one heck of a memorable year.

2018 goes down in my personal history book as 100% major. It’s been one of those years where I feel blessed far beyond what I even knew to ask for. It’s been filled with gracious opportunity and a lot of hard work.

There have been highs and lows, lots of learning, some tears and plenty of of goodies have come out of my oven, both here and back home.

My phone has been stolen. My laptop’s hard drive has been corrupted. I got a job. I quit my job. Lots of family drama and other unpleasant stuff unfolded. But today we remember and appreciate all the nice things.

Looking through my photos made me realize how much has happened and how quickly time has gone by.

So here it is, my highlights from 2018:

#1

Oh the anticipation of traveling internationally for the very first time ALONE!

I’d been abroad before but never without my parents and siblings so you can imagine my excitement anxiety.

#2

Not having to share a washroom, a bedroom or any room for that matter with any of my many sisters is a MAJOR highlight for me xD

#3

The year I baked my first cheesecake!

And made truffles.

And ate a lot of berries.

#4

The Brathay trip.

The trip of a lifetime.

Rowing on one of the most beautiful lakes of the world, Lake Windermere, taking the ‘leap of faith’, and doing all sorts of other wild activities I never would have imagined myself doing.

#5

Meeting some awesome people and making some AMAZING friends from all over the world.

#6

Falling in love with the beauty of autumn.

#7

Experiencing the magic of Christmas.

#8

Exploring London with my crazy Russian best friend.

#9

Visiting the infamous Dominique Ansel Bakery, and FINALLY trying the mighty ‘cronut’. A moment I’d been dreaming of ever since its creation.

The first bite was magical.

I’m swooning just thinking about it.

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#10

The day I met Cupcake Jemma!!

Major fan moment!

My heart was thumping. My palms were clammy. We talked. I told her my sisters and I were huge fans. We took a photo (which came out horrid). And then I tried some of Crumbs and Doilies mini cupcakes.

A day I can relive over and over again.

I might have gone and visited her again. O.o #stalkerandproud

#11

My first roller coaster ride at the Winter Wonderland in London.

It only took about two minutes, but the experience will stay with me forever. It was raining and I was laughing and crying.

The whole experience was just exhilarating! And nauseating.

#12

My first football match.

Though not a sports fan, I wouldn’t mind going again and again.

I loved the electric atmosphere and the excitement you feel with every pass, tackle and goal!

#13

And the highlight that made all the above highlights possible; being awarded the British Chevening Scholarship.

I am incredibly honored to be given this opportunity, to be one among the 1800 scholars out of 65,000 individuals who applied.

It still feels surreal.

Every time I walk through the campus feels surreal.

me outside campus

Thank you Chevening for giving me Manchester.

#14

Last but not the least, the highlight of not just this year but forever; having my laser eye surgery done.

It’s quite possibly the best thing I’ve ever done. It’s changed my life, my confidence, and my happiness. I am SO glad I took the leap and finally got it done.

Huge thanks to my mother for pushing me to get it done (and my father for financing it :p). ❤ ❤

I am incredibly grateful for all that has come my way this year and I want to thank you for sharing this journey with me. Your response to my Instastories makes my day.

Thank you for all of the love and support.

Happy New Year.

Love,

Noor

Here are six important (read: random) things you should know about me:

I absolutely HATE talking on the phone! It takes me about three days to acknowledge the message before I even think about replying. It’s nothing personal. I’m just not very good on the phone.
The early-morning hours are my favorite and most productive time of the day.
It took me three times to pass Math’s in eighth grade. I get frustrated just thinking about it.
I freeze up and turn completely silent in certain stressful situations or when I am nervous around someone in particular.
I love cheeseball 90’s movies. My favorites are: the Runaway Bride, and the Parent Trap. I could watch these a million times…and I may have done so by now
I am addicted to chocolate.

Which brings us to…

Extra thick, extra fudgy and completely irresistible brownie cookies.

This recipe is defined by its triple dose of chocolate.

Extra thick, extra fudgy and completely irresistible brownie cookies. #brownies #cookies #triplechocolate

These deep dark brownie cookies are a chocolate lover’s dream, my dream.

They are thick and fudgy just like brownies.

They have an intense chocolate flavor and are full of walnut chunks and gooey bits of chocolate.

And they taste out.of.this.world!

Extra thick, extra fudgy and extra chocolaty.

And they’re super easy to make too!

The dough is made with a generous amount of cocoa powder and melted dark chocolate to give the cookies a deep chocolate flavor and very dark color. I recommend using chocolate having 70% or above cocoa solids (preferably Lindt) for that rich dark taste.

Extra thick, extra fudgy and completely irresistible brownie cookies. #brownies #cookies #triplechocolate

I recommend chilling the dough for at least one hour so that the cookies won’t spread too much while baking. If the dough is too hard to handle when you take it out of the fridge, let it sit at room temperature for 15-30 minutes.

Baking time is also very important! Bake the cookies just to the point when the edges start to set. I like to slightly underbake my cookies for extra fudginess and softness. Overbaking will make them dry. Baking time in my oven is exactly 12 minutes, don’t bake them more than 14 minutes. Keep in mind that baking time is different if you bake bigger or smaller cookies than what the instructions suggest.

If you’re addicted to chocolate just like me then you’ll love these cookies!

Deep Dark Brownie Cookies

Yields: 12 cookies

Ingredients:

· 100g dark chocolate, coarsely chopped

· ½ cup all-purpose flour

· 2 ½ Tablespoons process cocoa powder

· ½ teaspoon baking powder

· Pinch of salt

· 2 ½ Tablespoons (36g) butter, softened to room temperature

· ¼ cup + 2 Tablespoons packed brown sugar

· 2 Tablespoons granulated white sugar

· 1 large egg, at room temperature

· ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

· ½ cup chopped walnuts

· ¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Melt the chocolate in the microwave in 20 second increments, stirring after each until completely melted. Set aside to slightly cool.
In a bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside.
In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla extract, and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Pour in the slightly cooled melted chocolate and mix on medium speed until combined.
On low speed, add the dry ingredients. Turn the mixer up to medium-high speed and beat until combined. Finally, beat in the walnuts and chocolate chips. Cover and chill the dough for at least 60 minutes in the refrigerator.
Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Roll the dough into balls, about 1.5 Tablespoons of dough each. Place 3 inches apart on the baking sheets and bake for 11-12 minutes or until the edges appear set. The centers will look a little soft.
Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

1. The longer the dough chills, the thicker the cookies will be.

2. If chilling for longer than a few hours, allow to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before rolling and baking because the dough will be quite hard.