The Brownie Company - Gransden Show

After celebrating my mum's 60th (again) on Friday, we decided to meet up on Saturday 27th September to go the Gransden show in Cambridgeshire. It couldn't have been better weather for a weekend at the end of September.

A very country affair with tents full of poultry competitions and produce competitions to sheep shearing demonstrations, fresh lemonade stalls, food stalls, tractors and dog shows. Visitors were kitted out in casual country gear with a dog or two in toe in the very laid back atmosphere of the show.

We meander round the show at a very leisurely pace, just taking in each of the stalls.

After tasting many brownies whilst away in America, the Brownie Company was the first brownie I would have had since back from the holiday. I was immediately enticed by the name along with the free sample of double chocolate that they were handing out. The stall had a simple country feel from the wooden crates holding the brownies and the red gingham lining the boxes and accentuated by the blue and white polka dots.

Presented with a couple of choices of brownie: double chocolate, white chocolate, peanut butter and chocolate orange. Being a fan of white chocolate, I chose pretty quickly, I just can't resist the combo. Lee on the other hand wasn't quite so sure but opted for the peanut butter. We just about resisted the four brownies for £5.

Now if you have ever tried or made one of the Hummingbird bakery brownies, then these are quite similar. They have the firm cracked top with the gooey inside whilst holding their shape so that it almost starts to melt in your mouth. The flavour is sweet and the sugar is smooth but not over the top. I am not usually a fan of peanut butter in sweets so Reeses pieces are just a bit too sickly for me but with this one there was just the right level of sweetness to these brownies because it felt like the peanut butter was just on the top layer of the brownie.

Everything on the Brownie Company stall was so well presented and thought through even down to the paper bags having the company name printed on them and having postcards to hand out with a very cute illustration of the family company including the family dog.

All in all a classic brownie baked incredibly well.

Sowa Market - Yummy Mummy Brownies

As a family we love a market from a farmers market to a flea market, we are all over it. So whilst in Boston my mum came up with an absolute ace of cards..Sowa market (open from May to October every Sunday) which covered everyone's interests and it was incredible. There were pop up food trucks, vintage stalls, brick n brack, homemade jewellery, plants and art.

So on Sunday 31st August after a slightly longer detour than planned we arrived at Sowa market.

There was so much to take in and discover. I bought an amazing kamono, a handmade necklace, postcards and best of all a salted caramel brownie from the Yummy Mummy stall. As you can tell I am a big fan of brownies and so when I saw this stall I couldn't resist.

It was heavenly! So moist, sweet with the chocolatey brownie with an extra hit of sweet from the caramel and then that hint of salt on the top. It gave me a feeling of just wanting to shove the whole thing into my mouth at once but at the same time savouring it and trying to prolong the goodness. Now the idea of salt with sweet foods is something of a common feature today however there is the fear that the salt could overpower but do not fear as the majority of the salt is sprinkled on the top so stuck to the sweet caramel giving you a multi dimension taste sensation.

My regret of the brownie is that I didn't buy two and that I didn't take a photo of it but to be honest from the first bite I just wanted to devour it.

There wasn't just salted caramel to choose from there was an original brownie, coconut, M&M and cinammon & sugar to name but a few that they were selling on the day.

Having done a bit of research on Yummy Mummy Brownies I believe that they are opening a shop in 2014 so if you are visiting Boston outside of May-October then I would recommend looking up their shop in Westborough.

Juliana's Pizzeria - Brooklyn NY

Sat next to the famous Grimaldi's is an understated building which at night has an air of magic surrounding it, like a little fairy grotto almost. Juliana's sits in the shadow of Brooklyn bridge and is highlighted by a tree covered in fairy lights, as a customer you are enticed in.

As part of my mum's 60th birthday trip to America, the final leg of the journey was revisiting New York but this time staying in the cool district of Brooklyn. Having scoured the guide books and sought numerous recommendations of places to eat, Grimaldi's came up time and time again for amazing pizza. With such a heavy recommendation, as a family, we felt we couldn't not go for a meal.

However, when we turned up the queue was already out of the door for Grimaldi's. On top of that my mum and sister had arrived earlier and had been given what turned out quite the tip off from some locals. Grimaldi's had in fact been sold 10 years previously by the owners but they had since opened Juliana's next door and was the place to go. So Juliana's it was!

Welcomed in by one of the nicest waitresses I have ever been served by we agreed on a number 5 pizza (tomato, mozzarella, arugula and prosciutto) and a margherita and pepperoni half and half. The pizzas were huge and delightful. Avoiding the usual hard edges and lack of topping. It was great and the atmosphere was friendly and intimate but yet had a feeling of bustle and vibrancy.

So full, I wasn't sure I could face a dessert however, after finding out that a 'brookie' was a combination of a brownie and cookie, I couldn't say no. I had never heard of a brookie before. And as someone who is very particular about what I like in a brownie (in that I know I like them to be a bit more squidgy and gooey than firm), I wasn't sure what to expect. They were amazing! Presented with two round little cookie-esk brookies, I tucked right in. Light and airy and crispy like a cookie but a slight softness of a brownie along with the sweetness and flavour of a brownie. There was the main brookie but there were also these little nuggets of pure chocolate within the sweet which gave you extra hits of chocolate. A 'brookie' is definitely something I would love to see in an English cake shop or baked at home. Not so sickly and overpowering after a big rich pizza yet still fully satisified my sweet side and left me wanting more.

The final touch to a great meal was that Mr Patsy Grimaldi himself was working as the host of the pizzeria and came over to check how our meal was. What a host he is! We even ended up walking away with a Juliana's key ring which has a light at the end.....I tell you it is very useful when it is dark and you can't find the key lock for your car.

Thank you Juliana's!