“If you’re passing through anytime soon, I’ll sort you out a brownie box”.
*Runs straight to my car and starts the engine to immediately make a special trip for a box of chocolate heaven from the Bake and Brew headquarters itself*.
That second part is, unfortunately, not true, even though in my head it was almost movie like with suspense, excitement and dramatic music. That would have been pretty cool. It was actually a week or so later I finally made my trip to Bake and Brew HQ after a fun and busy afternoon of working at a local pub. Serving cold, refreshing beverages and hot platefuls of home cooked Sunday roasts made me even more eager to pick up a treat of my own! With a surprise visit from my best friend near the end of my shift, she had to join me on this conquest. It felt very much like a movie adventure; as I clocked out at 4pm, we eagerly walked to my car to begin our journey for the exciting brownie collection, like Batman and Robin! I will let you decide who is who in that scenario! Also, my car is blue with a silver roof, and disappointingly, does not fly. What a let-down.
Despite not being able to fly, my little not-the-batmobile blue car got us to our collection point in approximately nine minutes. Nine minutes of wondering what these brownies would be loaded with; Chocolate? Marshmallows? Sprinkles? Whole chocolate bars? Fairy dust? Not even Professor X could work that one out, and he can read minds (that is for all you X-Men fans out there). Pulling up to Bake and Brew HQ, located in a small, family estate in Bickington, we had “reached our destination”. I quote that because I had to use Google Maps, genuinely. My geography is terrible. With the famous Bake and Brew logo displayed proudly on the front door, I started a slow motion, dramatic walk towards HQ with my cape flowing off my shoulders in the warm summer breeze. It was like a Hollywood film set. With a quick knock on the door, it slowly opened, with a plume of dramatic smoke which slowly dissipated to reveal King Kirk holding the cardboard package flaunting the rustic logo stamp we all know and love. FYI, there was no smoke. After a quick chat and passing of the brownie baton from the baker to the blogger, the quest was completed. A farewell to Kirk, and a big smile on my face, I turned to start another slow motion walk back to my blue batmobile, this time, with chariots of fire playing in the background. What a sight for Nicola to behold. The journey home commenced and soon I would be able to finally answer the big movie plot question that still lingered; what were these brownies loaded with?!
The Loaded Brownie Box Reveal
Blue batmobile parked on the drive, house keys at the ready, I entered my house, making a beeline for the kitchen; the loaded brownie reveal was imminent and I could not wait! Opening the familiar cardboard package, the bakes were lovingly and carefully wrapped once again. I could smell the comforting chocolate aroma already. It was time to peel away the baking parchment and open up the camera on my phone. If there was ever a time for a movie soundtrack to be playing in the background, this was it! Guess what? It was a happy ending, and everyone loves a happy ending.
The Four Movie Stars
Soundtrack still playing, the brownie box revealed that four stars had been cast in this epic blockbuster; Kinder, Mint Aero, Chocolate Aero, and last but not least, Orange Aero. If I had a red carpet, I would have rolled it out right through the house. These brownie stars deserved all the limelight, especially the brownie itself.
We all know the qualities an excellent Hollywood worthy brownie should give us. Spoiler alert! Every single bite of these Bake and Brew brownies was a masterpiece, like the Titanic Movie, with Bake and Brew as the award winning director. Move over James Cameron. Picture the scene; a soft, slightly chewy, almost undercooked, middle, encased by a flaky, textured crust that produced a bit of crunch, rounded off by the taste bud slapping indulgent flavour of chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate. Oscar worthy if you ask me, and when you end the excellent brownie performance with loaded toppings, a Hollywood Walk of Fame Star is definitely awarded.
Star One: Kinder
Before even getting my teeth into this first brownie star, I knew I was going to love it endlessly because I am a massive fan of Kinder chocolate! There is just something about it that makes me melt, and this Kinder loaded brownie experience did exactly that once more. The bright, milky white, Kinder chocolate bar contrasted the dark colour of the brownie, adding a big pop of colour, making it even more inviting. Ironically, after my description above, an abundance of small, white, delicate chocolate stars were sprinkled around the deeply rich brownie crust. Bake and Brew must have known it was a star too. I took my first bite of the Kinder brownie approximately 15 minutes after arriving back home (I was hungry, honest), and I was star struck. The slim pieces of Kinder chocolate added a subtle creaminess to the brownie mouthful, without making everything too sweet, cutting through the richness of the chocolate filled bake. My heart melted with happiness, and if CGI was available at 5:15pm on a Sunday afternoon, my legs would have too.
Star Two: Mint Aero
Second brownie in, I will be totally honest and admit that I did have a bite of each striking loaded delight that fine Sunday afternoon; it would have been very rude not to, right? Plus, I needed something to refresh my taste buds after the creamy, indulgent, Kinder mouthful. Luckily, the next in line was the colourful Mint Aero loaded brownie which did just that. When initially peeling back the carefully laid out baking parchment, the electrifying green colouring and the strong, fresh smell of mint, were the first things to catch my eyes and twitch my nose (due to the ongoing movie theme, the word ‘electrifying’ must be read in the voice of Danny Zuko; Leather jacket is optional).
Another nominee for my teeth to get into and the refreshing mint flavour exploded, clearing away any wonderful, lingering residue from the previous creamy Kinder mouthful. The bubbly nature of the famous chocolate was as light as a cloud, and instantly melted onto my tongue and into the fudgy brownie, slicing through lavish richness of the chocolate. Another contender for best supporting actor. CGI special effects still in use, my legs melted ever so slightly more.
Star Three: Chocolate Aero
Half way through my Sunday afternoon I-don’t-want-to-wait taste testing blockbuster, the chocoholics dream was about to take centre stage. Chocolate, upon chocolate, upon more chocolate. If Bruce Bogtrotter was available, I would have invited him around and chanted that famous phrase in the background whilst he enjoyed his chocolate feast; “BRUCE BRUCE BRUCE!”. Unfortunately, on this particular Sunday, Mr Bogtrotter was otherwise engaged. Shame. Luckily, I was fully willing to tackle the third instalment of the Bake and Brew big screen brownies; I did not need Ms Trunchbull to force me to eat chocolate!
Much the same as its green, hulk-esque (wow the movie references are flowing today) counterpart, this full blown chocolate filled party was just that; an absolute blast. As the brownie was deeply rich, I could taste the distinctive, milky flavour of the light, bubbly chocolate as it too, melted effortless. It was a miracle I was still standing at this point. There isn’t much else to say on this triumphant bake; a rich chocolate brownie, covered in more sweet, tasty, heart-warming chocolate. What is not to love! Bruce would be so proud.
Star Four: Orange Aero
Here we are; the last, but by no means least, brownie star. I had reached the happy ending in the form of a striking, citrus smelling, slab of orange aero loaded brownie. Bake and Brew know their flavour combinations! Chocolate and orange are a match made in heaven, and I have heard that some bloke called Terry is a big fan. The small pockets of bubbles were as present as ever and the fruity, orange taste danced flamboyantly with intense brownie flavour. But that wasn’t all. An extra supporting actor for this orange based star was present, in the form of a small, round, milk chocolate button with a crispy, bright orange shell. A very smart(ie) move. A move that rounded off the final taste test with a crisp crunch and intensified the orange kick.
From the batmobile beginning, to reaching this mouth watering motion picture ending, it had not been the three hour long commitment we have come to know in the movie world. If anything, the whole loaded brownie bake box could be easily consumed within the time it takes to watch an epic X-Men movie (Wolverine is a legend, fact). However, in a massive plot twist, I managed to spread my consumption over three days. Don’t ask me how, but I think there must have been some movie magic involved!
Bake and Brew directed the stars of this loaded brownie bake box so well, it is a five star review within the first few seconds of taking your first bite, and will definitely become one of your box set classics you will eat over and over, and never get bored.
Come to think of it, a loaded brownie box during a movie is probably the best snack idea I have ever heard!
Bake & Brew boxes are available for nationwide delivery or local collection!
Visit their online store to order your very own box!
Go on, you deserve a treat!
One Shy Foodie 