Life is good... and so are Gower Cottage Chocolate Brownies!

Life's pretty good as a food blogger!

I know people think of all bloggers as blaggers. And accepting any freebies is frowned upon by some. But... when someone offers to send you a sample of their chocolate brownies, brownies you've read such lovely things about, how exactly can you be expected to resist and why would you want to? The answer in my case was, "Yes! Yes, please... {dribble}, {dribble}"

And since my blog is a miscellaneous mix of restaurant reviews, home-cooked recipes, cookery book trials, feedback on food events and my thoughts and feedback on random food and drink products... sharing what I think of such samples fits right in!

Of course, some people worry that accepting products for review leads to unfairly positive reviews. To that I have two things to say: The first is that, I believe my blog posts to date show that this isn't the case - I've not been afraid to say what I think when it's been negative. I do my best to be as fair and balanced as I can but I don't pull my punches. The second is that, when I've been sent something for review, I make it clear in my post, which gives readers the opportunity to decide for themselves whether to place less store in my opinions on these products.

So! My Gower Cottage brownies arrived in the post, just as the snow had melted away.

A real cottage industry, started only a few years ago by Kate Jenkins when she and her family moved to the Gower and Kate started selling her home-made brownies in the local village cooperative shop, the business has grown quickly, due to rave reviews from both customers and food industry awards bodies.

Kate's brownies are deceptive.

I've often been seduced by a sexy looking brownie - all cracked crunch on top, moistness within, maybe some walnuts thrown into the mix - only to be disappointed by a gritty texture, rancid nuts or an overly sweet, cheap chocolate taste.

But this time, the opposite happened. I unwrapped the beautiful packaging to find some "plane Jane" brownies sitting on the parchment before me. Brownies that would never win first prize in a brownie beauty pagent, no siree bob.

But, oh! When I took a bite, I was seduced! Dense, gooey with a marvellously rich, deep dark chocolate taste these are seriously good, utterly indulgent, naughtily moreish brownies! These aren't cheap thrill, quick and dirty, unsatisfying one-night-stand brownies. These are take-home-to-mother, marry and come home to every night for the rest of your life brownies!

They are are all about the eating experience rather than the window display! And isn't that just as it should be?

If you need to say "thank you", "I love you", "get well soon", "good luck" or just "I've been thinking of you!" to anyone who appreciates top quality chocolatey goodness, I can wholeheartedly recommend giving them a box of these brownies - they'll get the message loud and clear! (And I'm hoping some of my friends and family might be reading this and make a mental note... I'm not kidding and yes please!)

I've had the good fortune to try some really good chocolate brownies this last year (Paul A Young, ChocStar and others). Hand on my heart, these are the best I've tasted.