I love chocolate. I saw a tweet on my timeline about a week ago asking Tweeters
to tell Greyston Bakery why they deserve free brownies. Hmm… I responded, not
sure if it was a legit tweet but excited nonetheless. Turns out it was very
legit.
I
received my gift on Wednesday evening. A Do Goodie box containing four
brownies: Walnut Fudge Brownie, Espresso Bean Brownie, Brown Sugar Blondie and
a Chocolate Fudge Brownie. Go ahead and wipe the saliva from your lips.
I’ll
wait…
The
brownies are made with Belgium
chocolate, cane sugar, unbleached flour, eggs and butter—all natural
ingredients, whole ingredients that make for a quality baked good. I’d
unknowingly tasted these brownies in the past. Greyston Bakery is the Brownie
Artisan for Ben & Jerry’s –their brownies are used in various Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavors (another brand I’m quite fond of). For anyone feeling
guilty about indulging in these gourmet treats, don’t. The Greyston Bakery has
an open-hiring policy that provides the underserved of Yonkers , NY employment opportunities (much
needed in today’s economy) and career advancement. So what you’re telling me is
eating these brownies is a good thing? On it!
The
temptation to gorge myself on the brownies was enormous, but I decided to share
the love. The next night (I waited a full 24-hours!), a friend and I sat on his
couch as I pulled the box out of my backpack. “That’s what they sent you?” he
took his now widened eyes off the Jets game just long enough to register what I
was showing him. I nodded slowly with that
gleam in my eye. I opened the Chocolate Fudge Brownie first. It was the perfect
thickness, "fudgines"; the quality of the Belgium chocolate (unsweetened and
semi-sweet) palatable. That was an amazing brownie. So rich, so right. I did my
best to savor it. My friend was speechless while he ate a piece of the brownie.
That's a good sign. “You gotta tell me what you think so I have something to
write about,” I reminded him. I have no
clue what the Walnut Fudge Brownie tasted like. I looked over when I heard
him crumpling the wrapper. So I'll just assume everything I said about the
Chocolate Fudge Brownie applies...with Walnuts.
My
friend passed on this one. He doesn’t drink coffee. I don’t drink coffee either
but this was a brownie! I waited a few days before I taking the plunge. I took
a whiff of the Espresso Bean Brownie—rich Belgium Chocolate Liquor—but not a
strong hint of espresso. I broke off a piece and gave it another whiff. Yet my
olfactory senses were only tickled by chocolate. I braced myself when I bit
into the Espresso Bean Brownie and didn't taste the coffee flavor. There was a
slight difference in flavor to this brownie than the Chocolate Fudge Brownie,
but that’s probably my palate picking up what it wanted to (I did bite into a
few of the Cocoa nibs). I was also afraid what
the espresso would do to my system. I wasn't bouncing off the walls. In fact,
soon after I finished the brownie, I took a nap. Cocoa Coma.
The
Brown Sugar Blondie was golden buttery goodness. Divine. I don't know what else
to say. I fantasized about eating the batter for the Brown Sugar Blondie, with
the butter and sugar mixture somewhat chewy but melting after a few seconds in
your mouth, your taste buds catching the semi-sweet chocolate right before you
swallow. I ate some that night and the rest of the Brown Sugar Blondie the next
morning for breakfast. My fingertips glistened and I was a happy camper.
I
will happily pay for my next batch of Do-Goodie brownies. All the profits go to
the Greyston Foundation to support jobs, childcare, health care and housing for
the underprivileged.
The Do-Gooders at Greyston Bakery did good.
* * *
No comments:
Post a Comment