Triple Chocolate Fudge Brownies

After a long week there is nothing better than a bake day to relax and refresh oneself. Flipping through my recipe books, picking herbs from the garden and experimenting in the kitchen is my perfect remedy to relieve stress. One of my favourite recipes and one I constantly aspire to perfect is the classic brownie.

Mmm, my mind drifts to thoughts of... melting chocolaty goodness....

My latest creation is very, very naughty.  But oh so good!  So here we go, please stop reading now if you easily give in to temptation.  Don't blame me if you can't stop at one, neither can I!

Triple Chocolate Fudge Brownies

100g butter, chopped

300g dark chocolate

1/2 cup rapadura sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup sour cream or natural yoghurt

3/4 cup plain flour

1/2 cup cocoa

1/2 cup roasted macadamia nuts, or walnuts (optional)

150g white chocolate

100g milk chocolate

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan forced.

2. Melt butter and dark chocolate in saucepan over low heat.  Set aside to cool for 5 mins.

3. Stir in sugar, eggs and vanilla extract.  Stir in sour cream.

4. Add sifted flour, cocoa, nuts, white and milk chocolate.

5. Pour mixture into rectangle slice tin lined with baking paper.  Bake for approx. 30 mins.  Ideally the brownies should still be moist inside.

My best brownie tip: it's all about the chocolate, the better quality the better the brownies.  Also, be careful not to burn the chocolate when melting.

Enjoy the weekend, I'd love to hear what you do to relax.
Elise
xo

Cold Pressed Coffee - A Review

As you may have guessed - I love food... and wine... and I also love a good coffee. Recently I had brekky at BlackStar, a boutique coffee roastery located in the back streets of West End.  A favourite spot for me to indulge in 20g double ristretto shots, Black Star also have a modest menu offering, roasted beans fresh to order and cold pressed coffee.

It was a very hot day, in the middle of winter....and I opted to taste test Black Star's range of Cold Pressed Coffee instead of my usual espresso.

The Cold Pressed range includes Full Creamy, Soy Deluxe and Total Black.  Made with freshly roasted and ground coffee this is the best ice coffee I've ever tasted. They are all natural, artificial-free, preservative-free, fair trade organic. Milk is local from Maleny dairies and they use a little Mexican agave nectar and vanilla extract to sweeten. 

I highly recommend trying the Full Creamy and Soy Deluxe for a thirst quenching caffeine hit, perfect for Brisbane's scorching hot summer days; or hot winter days in this instance. The Total Black wasn't to my taste, a bit too sweet and had a slight grainy texture.

Served in glass bottles, which look quite similar to beer, you can pick up your favourite cold pressed in a take-away, six pack cardboard holder.

Ladies Day Out

Last weekend I had the pleasure of attending a wine tasting tour with a group of girl friends at the beautiful Mt Tamborine. Located in the Scenic Rim of the Gold Coast Hinterland, Mt Tamborine is the perfect spot for day trips or a weekend away with several cellar doors, cafes & restaurants, galleries and unique souvenir shops.

I've enjoyed many self-guided wine trails, but this was my first official tour. Cheryl Brennan, proprietor and tour operator of Mt Tamborine Wine Tasting Tours was our dedicated guide for the day. Cheryl shared plenty of insights about the region and cellar doors throughout our journey and ensured we had an amazing experience every step of the way.

Our first stop, Aussie Vineyards, has received many awards for their wines including a bronze medal for the Au '07 Pinot Noir at the Royal QLD Wine Show.  The cellar door was very cosy and there was a lovely outdoor area where you can set up a picnic blanket and enjoy wine and food in the sunshine.  They also offered exquisite olives oils and vinegars for tasting and to purchase.

The Heritage, a restored church relocated from Burleigh Heads was next on the agenda. This majestic structure now sits on the hill tops entertaining guests with fine dining and wine tastings. Our tasting began with champagne, clinking our glasses it was clear we had already been won over.  The stand out beverage, Country Road Cream, a liqueur based on soy and brandy, was velvety smooth and provided just the right amount of warmth.  We advanced on our journey feeling quite content but eagerly anticipating more delights.

For Lunch - DeliVino - appropriately named, this establishment is a foodie heaven with a deli, restaurant and wine bar.  We made a quick, decisive choice on tapas and commenced a tasting at the bar featuring wines by Harrington Glen Estate, Preston Peak, Ridgemill Estate, Lucas Estate and Canungra Valley Vineyards.  The food was perfectly timed, right after our tasting.  The Smoked Wagyu Beef Carpaccio with horseradish cream, watercress and extra virgin olive oil was perfect, the beef tender and horseradish providing a creamy zing to compliment.  My favourite was the Goat Cheese Strudels - Witches Chase chevre, toasted walnuts, pesto and onion jam - they simply melted in your mouth.  Yum!

Next stop -  Witches Falls  the only winery which produces its wines on the mountain. Like Witches Falls, most of the wines featuring at cellar doors at Mt Tamborine source their grapes from the Granite Belt region.  April and May is the ideal time to visit as you can see all the production happening through the glass window in the tasting room. My favourite at Witches Falls is the Wild Ferment range, produced with only the indigenous yeast from the grapes skins.

Our adventure ended with a cheese tasting at Witches Chase Cheese Co, a well earned reward for a day spent wine tasting.  Witches Chase are most famous for their Cow Philly and Chev Philly which won gold medals at the Brisbane Cheese awards.  I managed to contain my excitement and only purchase two cheeses, the Chilli Goat Gouda and Triple Cream Blue.

The spectacular sweeping views and crisp clean air made the day extremely pleasurable. As Mae West said: 'Too much of a good thing can be wonderful'.

Cheers.