Showing posts sorted by relevance for query brownies. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query brownies. Sort by date Show all posts
One of my favourite things that I get to do as a food blogger is being able to try new things! And when those new things are brownies, count me in! I don't need to be asked twice! Brownies are some of my favourite things on earth.
And let me tell you, these Bad Brownies are so delicious they actually come with a warning! "These Brownies are dangerously good!" And you know what? They aren't kidding! These brownies are fabulously tasty! And at my ripe old age, I've tasted quite a few brownies in my life time, as well as baking some ludicrously tasty ones myself. I think I know a good brownie from a bad one, and these are incredibly edibly good.
So what makes a good brownie in your books? I'll tell you what makes a good one in mine. As its very basic, a good brownie should be fudgy and dense, never runny or loose. You should be able to pick them up with your fingers and eat them without worrying about ruining your favourite blouse. They should be rich and chocolatey and filled with lots of yummy flavour.
THESE BAD BROWNIES ARE ALL THAT AND MORE!
Inside were twelve beautifully cut, gorgeous looking brownies. Four each of three of their most popular flavours.
Salted Caramel - Composed of two fudgy and rich dark chocolate brownies sandwiched together with a liquid salted caramel centre and a shimmery gold finish on top
Ferrero Rocher - This hazelnut brownie includes praline, crunchy wafer and caramelised hazelnuts is more delicate than its decadent counterparts. There is a crispy topping, which gives way to a milder chocolate taste with the slightest hint of hazelnut coming through at the end.
Triple Chocolate - Their signature dark chocolate brownie packed full of white and milk chocolate chips and then coated with all three types of chocolate on top. A truly decadent take on a classic.
But would they live up to the hype? I needed to taste them. Yes . . . its a tough job, but somebody has to do it.
The Salted Caramel was rich, rich, rich and magnificently messy. There is the danger of something like this being a bit over the top, but these were not at all in the least over the top. Deliciously dangerously fudgy . . . the two layers almost meld together, but then there is that salty rich caramel layer running through the middle. If you are a fan of chocolate and salted caramel, then this has your name written all over it. The shimmer topping was a lovely finish. Incredibly rich. If you can eat more than one of these in one sitting, more power to you!
The Ferraro Rocher was a brilliant take on the infamous chocolate candy that people just love. These brownies are also quite lovable. I loved that crunchy topping and the dense fudginess of the brownie beneath it, with lots of little chunks of hazelnut scattered throughout. Incredibly moreish.
I saved the best for last.
Triple Chocolate. A fudgy dark chocolate brownie jam packed with little bits of milk and white chocolate chips, and drizzled with more of the same. Oh. My. Goodness!!! Just look at the deep chocolatey dense fudgy interior of that bite. I just died and went to heaven! I could eat one or two of these every day and never tire of them!
These are only three of the lush flavours they have on offer. There are other choices and boxes to choose from.
Try these on for size . . .
Red Velvet Cookie Dough . . . Strawberry Prosecco . . . Malteasers . . . Biscoff . . . Oreo Cookie Dough . . .
That is just the tip of the brownie bliss iceberg. There are Vegan and Gluten Free Options, Brownie in a Mug Kits, Sauces, 12 and 24 bite boxes, etc. You can subscribe and get one sent to you regularly if you wish. There are Coffee and Brownie Bundles. There are gift options. There is a bit of something for every brownie afficionado.
I have fallen in love. Dangerously, badly, totally in love.
BUT, that is not all!
I am really excited as well to be able to offer to one of my British Readers the opportunity to enter a special giveaway so that one of you can win one of their 12 Bite Brownie Boxes for yourself to enjoy in the comfort of your own home. The giveaway will run from the 24th of August (today) until the 24th of September.
theenglishkitchen.co - 12 Bite Best Seller Brownie Box
Just click the above link and it will take you to a widget where you can enter to win your very own box of Bad Brownies! A value of £14.50. (Unfortunately it is for UK residents only, but don't worry if you are outside of the country, I am planning another giveaway of something else for my other readers at another time!)
In the meantime I would like to thank Bad Brownies very much for affording me the opportunity to try these lush delights and for generously providing a Giveaway. I was sent this box free of charge but do want you to know that I was not required to give a positive review in exchange. Any and all opinions are quite simply my own and honest.
I mean . . . Brownies . . . they are pretty hard not to like, and when they are as tasty as these ones I would go so far as to say impossible not to like!
Bad Brownies
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Good luck! One of you is in for an incredible treat!
Rocky Road Brownies. Prepare yourself to fall in love with this wonderfully deliciously British version of a North American treat.
Brownies, who does not love a good brownie? Classed as a favourite amongst oldsters and youngsters throughout the world, there is something about fudgy, moist, chocolate filled brownies that speaks to the glutton in most of us.
This delicious recipe I am sharing with you today was adapted from a small baking book which I picked up in Marks and Spencers a number of years back. You can't beat M&S cookbooks. I have had a number of them through the years and all of them have been filled with deliciousness.
This one is par excellence! Filled to overflowing with fabulous brownie recipes designed to tempt every taste and desire! Not all brownies are chocolate.
Rocky Road is a completely different thing in the UK than what it is in North America. In the UK, Rocky Road is also known as Tiffin Cake, and is said to be Prince Williams favourite cake. I am not sure if that is true or not, but I can tell you that Tiffin Cake is quite delicious!
Rocky Road or Tiffin is an unbaked chocolate slice typically composed of melted chocolate, crisp broken biscuits/cookies, marshmallows and some type of dried fruit. But not always. It can vary quite a bit from country to country and region to region. In short it is a chocolate fridge cake, similar to a fudge or candy, but uncooked with the exception of melting the chocolate.
A brownie is a type of square or cake that is mostly but not entirely limited to chocolate. Dense and fudgy you can find it in many versions now, one of which is the blondie.
A good brownie is something you should be able to pick up in your hands to eat and is totally enjoyable. Moist, rich and fudgy . . . totally appealing, especially to those who love chocolate.
Rocky Road Brownies are a glorious amalgamation of the two things. I like to think it is composed of the best of both worlds.
You get a dense fudgy brownie, filled with sticky sweet cherries and toasted nuts. Top that with a rich chocolate glaze and sweet mini marshmallows and you have a heavenly bar that everyone who loves brownies is sure to fall in love with!
I have used glace cherries in these. Glace cherries are also known as candied cherries and can be found in the dried fruits/baking aisle of the supermarket. You can also find them online in speciality shops and on amazon.
They are sweet and delicious, and come in a wide variety of colours. I prefer to use the undyed ones which are a bit darker red in colour.
I always rinse them off in warm water before using them in baking. I just pop them into a bowl of warm water and give them a good swish around. I then drain them and pat them dry with some paper kitchen towels.
This helps to prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the bake. You really want them evenly distributed throughout the bake.
You can also toss them with a bit of the dried ingredients to hedge your bets even further. Not a lot, just a TBS will do. Note, if you cannot get candied cherries, feel free to use well drained and dried maraschino cherries.
I also always toast my nuts before baking with them. Both Pecans and walnuts. Toasting your nuts just makes them taste nuttier and is not all that difficult to do.
Just preheat your oven to 350*F/180*C. Pop the nuts onto a baking tray and then toast them in the oven for about 8 to 10 minutes at which time they should be smelling all toasty and nutty.
Do check on them to make sure they don't burn. Nuts are expensive baking ingredients and you don't want to waste them. Once they are toasted let them cool completely before using them in any baking recipe.
I often toast my nuts well in advance, doing a whole bag at a time. I then pop them into an airtight freezer container and into the deep freeze where they are ready to use at a moments notice. You don't need to thaw them out.
Toasted nuts also make great snacks. Just saying.
I have used walnuts today, but feel free to use pecans if you would rather. They work really well as do macadamia nuts. (My favourite nut. Especially with chocolate.)
A beautiful chocolate glaze goes on top of these. Not thick enough or fluffy enough to be called a frosting, this is a thick glaze that is very simple to make. Its more like a thin icing.
It gets spread over the top of the cooled bake and then mini marshmallows are pressed into the top before it sets so that they will adhere better to the frosting. Simple.
Once everything sets up they are ready to be cut into delicious bars. I have a confession. I cannot cut or even draw a straight line.
I always bake my bars and cakes that I plan on cutting into squares in pans which I have lined with baking parchment. I make sure I have an overhang of paper so that I can lift them out easily once done. Much easier to cut that way. At least for me.
Now doesn't that look delicious. Like something you can't wait to sink your teeth into? I promise you they are totally delicious.
Amazingly
delicious, a tiny bit dangerous, these are the type of brownie that
everyone need to experience at least once in their lifetime! These brownies are rich, chocolatey and moist, holding well together. Everything a good brownie should be!
Rocky
Road Brownies. British style, with plenty of chocolate oomph , candied
cherries, toasted nuts, a lush choccie glaze and mini marshmallow
topping!
Be warned. These are highly addictive. I am quite sure you won't be able to stop at eating just one. These are just good, good, good!
Rocky Road Brownies
Yield: 16
prep time: 15 Mincook time: 40 Mintotal time: 55 Min
Quite simply delicious. Not the North American version of Rocky Road, but the British with glace cherries, walnuts and marshmallows.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (225g) butter, melted
- 3/4 cup (100g)plain flour
- 3/4 cup (140g) granulated sugar
- 3 TBS cocoa powder, sifted (not drinking mix)
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 2 large free range eggs, beaten
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 cup (70g) glace cherries, quartered
- 2/3 cup (70g) toasted walnuts
For the frosting:
- 1 1/2 cups (200g) icing sugar
- 2 TBS cocoa powder, sifted
- 3 TBS evaporated milk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup (60g) mini marshmallows
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 165*C/325*F/ gas mark 3. Butter a 9 inch square baking tin and line with baking paper. Set aside.
- Whisk together the melted butter, eggs and vanilla. Sift the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder into a bowl. Stir in the sugar. Make a well in the centre. Add the wet ingredients all at once. Beat well to mix together smoothly. Stir in the cherries and walnuts. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until just firm on top. Leave to cool in the tin.
- To make the frosting, place all of the ingredients into a bowl and beat together with an electric whisk to give you a speadable consistency. Spread over the cooled brownies. (It won't be really thick, but it shouldn't be runny either.) Sprinkle the marshmallows on top, pressing down slightly. Leave to set before cutting into squares to serve.
- Store any leftovers in a tightly covered container.
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
Yesterday I thought long and hard about what recipe I wanted to begin 2021 with. That's a great responsability you know, being the first recipe in one of probably at least 365 choices! (The rate at which I blog anyways!)
I had a box of Mint Chocolates that needed using up and I had seen a recipe online for After Eight Brownies. Actually I saw it here. I felt it was a bit vague however much I liked the concept.
I don't trust recipes that are somewhat vague, especially when you are talking baking and the use of expensive ingredients. I decided to go with my old and trustworthy brownie recipe and just adapt it to the use of the mint chocolates.
I have been baking that brownie recipe for years and years. It is tried and true and incredibly trustworthy, even with adaptations to add ons/ins.
They always turn out rich and fudgy. They are the perfect consistency for a brownie. When I worked at the Manor, the Mr requested a pan of them at least once a month.
The staff never minded either. The smell of them baking always brought a few of them in the kitchen to investigate and a sneaky bite or two later on after they had cooled.
True confession here. I did not use After Eights. I actually used a box of Ganong Mint Patties because that is what I had. Worked perfectly.
I cut the mint patties into eights and used half the box to stir into the batter before baking. They were a lot thicker than After Eights, but worked well.
The remainder of them (16 in total) I laid out in rows across the top of the baked brownies. Four rows of four, making sixteen.
Then once they had softened I spread them out a bit with the back of a spoon. I could have just left them sitting there I suppose. That might have been pretty
But I wanted to have a white and chocolate swirled topping to look at when they were totally done. I thought it would be really pretty.
I also thought it would showcase the dark chocolate drizzle that I was planning on flicking over them in the end. So you got a mix of mint, milk and dark. Perfect!
Perfectly gliding the promise of deep, dark, chocolate fudgy goodness. I just adore my Brownie recipe. It is perfect in every way.
Did I ever tell you about my experience in attending a cooking show in London. I was contacted when I was still living down in Kent and asked would I like to attend the taping of a new cooking show in London at the Channel four studios.
Overall I thought it would be a good experience and it was. I got a true picture of how they actually put together a cooking show.
They actually filmed it quite differently than what one would suppose. First they did the middle and then the beginning and finally the end. They had signs to show the audiance when to ooh and ahh and when to clap, laugh, etc.
It was really interesting. They had the Tanner Brothers (chef's from Kent) and Paul Rankin (the Irish Chef) in attendance. There was a celebrity guest as well, Vanessa Phelps. I had brought some of my Parsnip and Apple Soup and Paul Rankin declared it delicious in his Irish accent.
Anyways, part of the show was a Brownie bake-off between the chef's. I have to be honest here. They had no idea of what a proper brownie should be like. Their Brownies were gooey sludge.
You should be able to pick up a good brownie in your hands to hold it. You shouldn't need a spoon to hold or eat them. Their Brownies were grossly under-cooked. But who am I to say . . .
Anyways, I could have taught them a thing or two about what a real Brownie should be like. They had no clue. Myself, I am always open to learning new things.
I was quite pleased however that my soup was deemed delicious. I have had other opportunities to do television through the years. I did do a screen test for a show once upon a time, but nothing ever came of any of it.
I think I just don't fit the mold of who or what they want people to see. Too ordinary. Too fat. Too old. I have noticed by and far that most people you see on these shows are much younger.
Most people of a certain age never get a look in these days. I am okay however with things just as they are. Maybe it is that people of a certain age don't really want to put up with all of the nonsense that goes along with something like that.
I can't be bothered at any rate! People are always saying to me you should go on the GBBO. No thank you! I cook for pleasure and nothing else. To please myself and my loved ones.
And these Brownies certainly fit that bill on all counts. They are moist. They are delicious. You can pick them up in your hand. You will enjoy them.
And if you don't . . . well, I guess we all have different tastes. Happy New Year. I sure hope that 2021 is a lot better year for all of us!
After Eight Brownies
Yield: 16
prep time: 10 Mincook time: 45 Mintotal time: 55 Min
Moist and delicious with full on chocolate flavour, these are everything a good brownie should be, with the delicious addition of After Eight Chocolate Mints.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (240g) butter
- 1 cup (140g) plain all-purpose flour
- 4 ounces (115g) good quality bitter chocolate
- 4 large free range eggs
- 2 cups (190g) sugar
- 1 TBS vanilla essence (YES 1TBS)
- Pinch salt
- 1 package After Eight chocolates, divided
- melted dark chocolate to drizzle
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Grease and line an 8 inch square glass baking dish. (I like to leave an overhang so that I can lift the brownies out when they are completely cold for cutting.)
- Melt the butter along with the chocolate over low heat in a large pot.
- Allow to cool, then stir in the sugar, eggs (one at a time) vanilla, flour and salt, mixing with a wooden spoon and being careful not to over mix, no more than 50 strokes!
- Break half of the After Eight into bits and fold into the brownie batter.
- Pour batter evenly into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out a little wet if you want fudgy brownies. Bake until it comes out cleaner if you want cake type brownies, about 40 to 45 minutes for the fudgy ones.
- Place pieces of the remaining mint patties on top and return to the oven for a minute to melt. Remove from the oven and spread out a bit with the back of a spoon.
- Melt the dark chocolate and drizzle over top. (You will literally only need about 2 TBS)
- Let cool completely before cutting into squares. Store in an airtight container.
I stored the baked brownies in my mother's old square tupperware container. Well, I guess it is my sister's now. I sure envy her having all of these things of my mom's.
There are so many happy memories tied up in them. The number of times my mom made date squares or feather squares and then stored them in this container. So much joy for our family and good eating.
You just can't beat these old things. They truly were meant to last a lifetime and beyond!
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
The other day I was in the shops and I thought I would buy a loaf of gluten free bread to try it out. I have one word to say. BLECCH.
It was a very popular name brand, and it did have a nice texture and it looked like real bread, albeit a much smaller loaf, and very expensive I might add. £3 for a seeded loaf.
It didn't taste bad. It just left a pasty kind of coating in my mouth. I couldn't bring myself to eat any more of it. I just couldn't. I will have to try making my own.
If these delicious brownies are any example of how good homemade gluten free baking can be, then we are in for a treat. I need to do some research first on bread.
I am not sure why it is so difficult to photograph chocolate things. They never come out looking at tasty as they really are.
If you have any hints or tips on that, I would really appreciate!
These gluten free chocolate brownies are fabulous. Dense. Fudgy and chocolatey!
I dusted them lightly with some icing sugar to make them look better. Not sure if it worked, lol
They really are nice . . . with a fudgy, dense and rich chocolate crumb . . .
I wish I could just give you one to try to you could taste test for yourself, I am that sure you would love them. Especially if you love Brownies.
I baked these for a friend of mine in hospital who is wheat and dairy free, and she loved them. Of course I had to try them before I gave them to her.
I would never give anyone anything I hadn't tasted myself and didn't KNOW tasted great!
They are composed of butter, ground almonds, cocoa powder and copious amounts of dark chocolate, with some eggs, brown sugar and flavourings . . .
Vanilla and orange flavourings . . . think dark chocolate orange here.
If you are not fond of chocolate and orange together, you can simply leave out the orange flavouring, and add a touch more vanilla.
This was excellent served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.
I dare say these would make an excellent dessert choice if you knew that you were having gluten intolerant people over for dinner.
*Gluten Free Brownies*
Makes 6 - 8 servings
Preheat the oven to 160*C/325*F/ gas mark 2. Base line an 8 by 12 inch baking tin with baking paper. Set aside.
Bring a pot of water to a simmer on the stove. Using a bowl that will sit comfortably on top without the bottom touching the water, put the butter and chocolate into the bowl and place over the simmering water. Stir until it is melted and amalgamated. Set aside to cool slightly.
Beat together the eggs, brown sugar, vanilla and orange extracts. (If using)
Whisk together the cocoa powder, almonds and baking powder. Make a well in the centre. Pour over the melted chocolate/butter mixture and the egg mixture. Stir togther until well combined, working from the centre. Pour into the prepared baking tin.
Bake for 25 minutes until set all over and beginning to pull away from the edges of the pan. For gooey brownies, take them out a bit sooner. For firm brownies leave in the oven a bit longer. Allow to cool completely in the pan. Tip out onto a board and carefully peel off the paper. Cut into squares or bars as desired. Store in an airtight container.
Oh boy . . . was this ever good! Amazing even. I had it slightly warm with some Scottish ice cream. I think you will enjoy, even if you aren't gluten free. Bon appetit!
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan@aol.com
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