LOCKDOWN BROWNIES

IMG_1055.jpeg

I haven’t written a blog in so long but felt I had to share this recipe…as it’s sooooooo delicious!

I do hope you are all well and keeping safe in these very strange times we find ourselves in…enjoy!

Feel free to tweak the recipe, I didn’t use any white chocolate just milk and I didn’t have enough golden caster sugar so substituted with white! Also don’t be tempted to leave in the oven for more than 30 mins, as they will carry on cooking when you take them out of the oven…resulting in a dry brownie! We really don’t want that, the words you want to hear when everyone is tucking into this coffee time/ teatime treat is…MOIST AND GOOEY!

INGREDIENTS

  1. Cut 185g unsalted butter into small cubes and tip into a medium bowl. Break 185g dark chocolate into small pieces and drop into the bowl.

  2. Fill a small saucepan about a quarter full with hot water, then sit the bowl on top so it rests on the rim of the pan, not touching the water. Put over a low heat until the butter and chocolate have melted, stirring occasionally to mix them.

  3. Remove the bowl from the pan. Alternatively, cover the bowl loosely with cling film and put in the microwave for 2 minutes on High. Leave the melted mixture to cool to room temperature.

  4. While you wait for the chocolate to cool, position a shelf in the middle of your oven and turn the oven on to 180C/ 160C fan/ gas 4.

  5. Using a shallow 20cm square tin, cut out a square of non-stick baking parchment to line the base. Tip 85g plain flour and 40g cocoa powder into a sieve held over a medium bowl. Tap and shake the sieve so they run through together and you get rid of any lumps.

  6. Chop 50g white chocolate and 50g milk chocolate into chunks on a board.

  7. Break 3 large eggs into a large bowl and tip in 275g golden caster sugar. With an electric mixer on maximum speed, whisk the eggs and sugar. They will look thick and creamy, like a milk shake. This can take 3-8 minutes, depending on how powerful your mixer is. You’ll know it’s ready when the mixture becomes really pale and about double its original volume. Another check is to turn off the mixer, lift out the beaters and wiggle them from side to side. If the mixture that runs off the beaters leaves a trail on the surface of the mixture in the bowl for a second or two, you’re there.

  8. Pour the cooled chocolate mixture over the eggy mousse, then gently fold together with a rubber spatula. Plunge the spatula in at one side, take it underneath and bring it up the opposite side and in again at the middle. Continue going under and over in a figure of eight, moving the bowl round after each folding so you can get at it from all sides, until the two mixtures are one and the colour is a mottled dark brown. The idea is to marry them without knocking out the air, so be as gentle and slow as you like.

  9. Hold the sieve over the bowl of eggy chocolate mixture and resift the cocoa and flour mixture, shaking the sieve from side to side, to cover the top evenly.

  10. Gently fold in this powder using the same figure of eight action as before. The mixture will look dry and dusty at first, and a bit unpromising, but if you keep going very gently and patiently, it will end up looking gungy and fudgy. Stop just before you feel you should, as you don’t want to overdo this mixing.

  11. Finally, stir in the white and milk chocolate chunks until they’re dotted throughout.

  12. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin, scraping every bit out of the bowl with the spatula. Gently ease the mixture into the corners of the tin and paddle the spatula from side to side across the top to level it.

  13. Put in the oven and set your timer for 25 mins. When the buzzer goes, open the oven, pull the shelf out a bit and gently shake the tin. If the brownie wobbles in the middle, it’s not quite done, so slide it back in and bake for another 5 minutes until the top has a shiny, papery crust and the sides are just beginning to come away from the tin. Take out of the oven.

  14. Leave the whole thing in the tin until completely cold, then, if you’re using the brownie tin, lift up the protruding rim slightly and slide the uncut brownie out on its base. If you’re using a normal tin, lift out the brownie with the foil. Cut into quarters, then cut each quarter into four squares and finally into triangles.

  15. They’ll keep in an airtight container for a good two weeks and in the freezer for up to a month.

IMG_1056.jpeg

Naughty but nice!

B & B BUSINESS WORKSHOP!

 

Oh my goodness, it’s been a long time since i’ve blogged.........ooops

so, to catch up is been a fantastic year here at Camomile Cottage & Chobbs Barn, winning the Dorset Cereals award, spending a month down under in Australia.........amazing! Then back to a busy time in the b & b and our self catering Chobbs Barn. We have had the pleasure of meeting some wonderful guests and welcoming back some of our lovely regulars too and enjoyed some great Summer weather in the process. 

I can’t believe we’ve been running Camomile Cottage b & b for 15 years, it’s been such a happy and rewarding experience, so much so that i’m delighted and excited to say that we’ll be running our own b & b business workshops, you’ll find all the details on our website. www.camomilecottage.co.uk/workshops

So do please contact me if you’re interested in setting up your own B and B and want to start working for yourself, perhaps you are thinking about airbnb to create a bit of extra income, or maybe you already run a B and B and are looking for new ways to enchance  your business and create new custom.

The workshop will be held at our award winning B and B in Suffolk, please don’t hesitate to call or email if you would like more information.

First date 8th January 2018 at Camomile Cottage B & B

First date 8th January 2018 at Camomile Cottage B & B

IMG_0713.large.JPG

amazing trip down under, Watson’s Bay with Sydney in the background!

WOW

WOW........


What a wonderful November it's been and so busy, lots of lovely guests in Camomile Cottage B & B and Chobbs Barn, a few days walking in Northumberland and the Lakes with Fozzie, a trip down to sunny Sussex where we finally got to visit the beautiful http://www.thecountrybrocante.co.uk


We also found out that we had won the Dorset Cereals award for Quirkiest Character B and B which was a big and very happy surprise, so last week we had the producer/director and film crew from http://tinderflint.tv and lovely Lydia from http://www.wcommunications.co.uk presenting us with our award on behalf of Dorset Cereals........phew


So as you can see November 2016 at Camomile Cottage has been an eventful one!

Camomile Cottage B & B Suffolk

Camomile Cottage B & B Suffolk

Camomile Cottage B & B Suffolk

Camomile Cottage B & B Suffolk

SUMMER 2016

Camomile Cottage & Chobbs Barn Suffolk

 

Fozzie's new garden gate sign! 

Fozzie's new garden gate sign! 

Well I think we can say it's been a fabulous Summer, we've sat in the garden almost everyday and it's been glorious, I can happily embrace Winter now, cosy nights in front of the fire, delicious homemade casseroles, soups and yummy fruit crumbles!


It's been a very busy time in both Camomile Cottage B & B and our self catering Chobbs Barn, we've welcomed back lots of our lovely regular guests a well as some new ones from all over the world. We've had guests getting married, celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, honeymoons or just plain getting away from it all to chill out in beautiful rural Suffolk.


I've lost count of the amount of cakes, loaves of bread, fruit salads etc that I've made this Summer but it's been wonderful to welcome so many lovely people to share in our Suffolk secret and I would just like to thank everyone who came to visit us!

Lovely new blind in Camomile Cottage B & B Kitchen

Lovely new blind in Camomile Cottage B & B Kitchen

Dorset Cereals B&B Awards

Please vote for Camomile Cottage B&B Suffolk

Please vote for Camomile Cottage B&B Suffolk

Wow, we are delighted to have been nominated for a Dorset Cereals B&B Award, so it's been a very busy week at Camomile Cottage, charming guests coming and going, a lovely photographer from the Guardian taking pictures of the cottage in conjunction with the nomination, not to mention turning another year older, the less said about that the better, although it's only a number..........right!

Anyway, we would love your vote, if you get a minute just pop over to https://www.dorsetcereals.co.uk/bnb-awards/ and vote for us.

Many thanks to everyone who has voted so far.

 

https://www.dorsetcereals.co.uk/bnb-awards/

https://www.dorsetcereals.co.uk/bnb-awards/

Fabulous Weather

 

Well it's been another busy week at Camomile Cottage and Chobbs barn with some lovely guests coming and going! 

The weather has been glorious here in Suffolk, lots of lovely evening walks with Fozzie as the sun goes down, supper on the patio by candlelight, it's the simple things! 

 

Lunchtime on the patio at Camomile Cottage B & B and Chobbs Barn Self Catering Suffolk. 

Lunchtime on the patio at Camomile Cottage B & B and Chobbs Barn Self Catering Suffolk. 

Fozzie enjoying the sunshine! 

Some pretty flowers at Camomile Cottage B & B Suffolk

Some pretty flowers at Camomile Cottage B & B Suffolk

A Gin Palace in Norfolk

The Old Kings Head Brockdish

The Old Kings Head in Brockdish.      Camomile Cottage B & B.  Chobbs Barn. Suffolk & Norfolk

The Old Kings Head in Brockdish.      Camomile Cottage B & B.  Chobbs Barn. Suffolk & Norfolk

A lovely friend Lizzy indroduced me to The Old Kings Head yesterday lunchtime, only a short drive from Camomile Cottage B & B and well worth a visit, especially if you like gin, 44 varieties to sample and if you join their Gin club after buying 13 the 14th is free, I hasten to add they don't all have to be consumed in one sitting!

They also specialize in stone baked pizza, pasta, salads, dough balls, dipping bread(with beautiful olive oil), hand made puddings, home baked cakes, lovely coffee & teas ( the flat white with a double shot certainly hit the spot!)

I highly recommend a visit, we'll certainly be back to sample a few from the gin selection!

A very Happy Sunny Easter in Suffolk

So the clocks have finally sprung forward and we really can start to enjoy some lovely lighter evenings, hopefully lots of sunny days too! 

its a lovely sunny Easter Sunday here, my guests have all had their breakfasts in Camomile Cottage, all the indoor chores have been attended to so its time to get out and enjoy some Suffolk sunshine, plant a few seeds and a nice long doggy walk with Fozzie!

 

Easter Time at Camomile Cottage B & B & Chobbs Barn in lovely Rural Suffolk. 

Easter Time at Camomile Cottage B & B & Chobbs Barn in lovely Rural Suffolk. 

Fozzie Says there's only one place to be.......

Camomile Cottage B and B  & Chobbs Barn Luxury Self Catering Suffolk/Norfolk Border

Camomile Cottage B and B  & Chobbs Barn Luxury Self Catering Suffolk/Norfolk Border

I'm rather inclined to agree with Fozzie, there is only one place to be, especially after a cold muddy dog walk and that's in front of a roaring fire, preferably with a glass of homemade sloe gin!

We've just had a lovely weekend doing just that as well as some Christmas Shopping at Blackthorpe Barns, a great place for our guests to visit, full of local crafts and foodstuff from the area.  We love to pick up lots of local produce for our guests to enjoy when they visit us in Suffolk at our romantic, not to mention cosy B and B.

 

Blackthorpe Barn Suffolk

Blackthorpe Barn Suffolk

Marzipan Fruit Cake

Camomile Cottage B & B and Chobbs Barn Luxury Self Catering Suffolk Norfolk Border

Camomile Cottage B & B and Chobbs Barn Luxury Self Catering Suffolk Norfolk Border

So here it is as promised!

 

150g sultanas 

100g natural coloured glace cherries, halved 
150g dried pears, chopped 
100ml white rum 
250g marzipan 
50g ground almonds 
zest of 1 lemon 
175g plain flour 
100g caster sugar 
100g butter 
2 large eggs 
1 tsp orange flower water or orange extract

20cm spring form cake tin, buttered and lined bottom and sides, so that the parchment comes a good 10cm above the rim 

the night before, mix sultanas, glace cherries and dried pears in a large bowl, cover with the rum. Dice the marzipan and put it in the freezer. Leave both to soak and freeze overnight. 

next day, preheat oven to 140/gas 1. Beat together almonds, lemon zest, sugar, flour, butter and eggs. Add drained fruit, orange flower water and frozen marzipan. Put the mixture into the tin, levelling the surface, and making a slight indent in the middle to get an even surface when cooked. 

bake for 2 - 2 1/2 hours, or until skewer comes out clean. Do not overcook, as it will continue to cook in its own heat for a bit. But don't worry - there's enough dried fruit and marzipan to stop anyone complaining that the cake is dry. 

allow to cool in the tin, rewrap in parchment and foil to store for about a week, I always feed it with a little or a lot more rum! 

If you have difficulty finding dried pears you could use dried apples instead,the soft kind not crispy!  I haven't been able to find them for ages and had to dry my own, such a palaver, I mentioned this to my lovely guest Tricia and she went out on a mission today to find some, she came home with a lovely big bag for me..........yippee no more drying my own for the next few cakes!

 

 

All Cosy in Chobbs Barn and Camomile Cottage B & B

Camomile Cottage B and B & Chobbs Barn

Camomile Cottage B and B & Chobbs Barn

So our lovely new woodburner is up and running and so so cosy, guests will definitely not want to go out once it's lit, but if they do what could be nicer than a crisp winter walk in the beautiful Suffolk countryside followed by tea and crumpets and snuggling up in front of the fire.........bliss.

Our rural B and B Camomile Cottage and our luxury self catering Chobbs Barn is in the heart of East Anglia on the Suffolk/ Norfolk border, within easy reach of Southwold, Framlingham, Woodbridge, Snape Maltings, Aldeburgh, Norwich, Bury St Edmunds, Lavenham, Clare, Bungay, Beccles, Wyken Vineyards to name but a few....haha!

New Woodburner for Chobbs Barn!

It's been a bit of a miserable start to the week here in Suffolk, my lovely guests staying in Camomile Cottage B & B have had to endure some pretty heavy showers!

Today it's stopped raining and the lovely Jeremy & Darren from Ecoflue have come to fit our new woodburner in Chobbs Barn, it's all very exciting, our self catering guests are going to be so cosy in there this winter, especially as we already have underfloor heating in there too! 

So keep an eye on our Face Book page and Instagram as we are going to have another prize draw, this time we are giving away a winter weekend or midweek break in Chobbs Barn, definitely worth entering, so watch this space!

Camomile Cottage & Chobbs Barn/ Cosy New Woodburner being Fitted! 

Camomile Cottage & Chobbs Barn/ Cosy New Woodburner being Fitted! 

It's that Autumn Feeling!

It's been a busy week at Camomile Cottage B & B and Chobbs Barn, lots of lovely guests coming and going enjoying the last few days of the Summer sun!

With Autumn fast approaching we've been stacking logs high and picking lovely ripe and juicy sloes from down the lane, we're going to have lots of delicious sloe gin this Christmas!

As you can see from the picture Fozzie is waiting patiently for the log burner to be lit, she's not the only one, ours guests enjoy nothing more than a lovely country walk then relaxing in front of the fire with a glass or two of wine! 

 

 

Log Stacking & Sloe Gin making at Camomile Cottage B & B

Log Stacking & Sloe Gin making at Camomile Cottage B & B

Taking A Leaf Out Of Our Book

Taking A Leaf Out Of Our Book

We have welcomed guests from all over the world to our 16th century farmhouse but sometimes appreciating what you have on your doorstep is lost amongst the excitement of getting away. We've lived on the avenue lined with ancient oak trees for 23 years and must have walked our dogs along it thousands of times, spotting watchful hares and distant deer under the oak canopy on mellow summer mornings and dark winter nights. It's a peaceful lane that used to be the tradesman entrance to Brome Hall 1.5 miles further down the track. Brome Hall was a prestigious tudor mansion belonging to the Cornwallis family way back in the 1500s and our home would have been a farmhouse on the estate. Built from the oak trees that surrounded it, they mixed the earthy clay with straw and horsehair from the stables to form the wattle and daub that can still be seen in the house today. The lane has changed very little over the years even if the fields of corn and oil seed that surround it would now appear larger and brighter to a farmer working his heavy horses all those years ago. The lane must hold many secrets of discreet rendezvous under dappled summer sunlight and the soft sounds of horse and cart returning from a hard days work in the fields. It's lovely to go away and be inspired by new vistas and sounds but looking at what we already have on our doorstep can be just as rewarding.

Bunking off for Breakfast

Camomile Cottage B & B on the Suffolk Norfolk Border

Camomile Cottage B & B on the Suffolk Norfolk Border

No breakfasts to cook at Camomile Cottage today, so we've sneaked off to one of our favourite places for sneaking off too, The Leaping Hare Cafe at Wyken Vineyards. We took our iPads with us, under the pretence of doing a little work........yeah right!

After a delicious flat white coffee and a spot of breakfast for Tim, we had a little mooch around the shop, all housed in the enormous and very impressive barn.

You can easily while away a morning here, the barn is situated in the grounds of a beautiful Tudor manor and owned by Lord & Lady Carlisle, you'll find sheep, horses and lamas in the fields opposite the cafe and a lovely woodland walk if you feel so inclined!

Anyway, don't take our word for it www.vineyards.co.uk take a look!