It’s been 20 years since founder Kate Jenkins sold her very first brownie in a village shop, and she’s celebrating in the sweetest way possible. The Brownie Book brings together two decades of Gower Cottage Brownies know-how, with more than 60 fail-safe brownie and blondie recipes designed to help home bakers recreate a little of the magic in their own kitchens.

Packed with fudgy, gooey creations, the book features everything from Black Forest Brownie Towers and Raspberry Ripple Brownies to Lemon Meringue Pie Blondies. Launched at the end of last month, the debut title from the Gower Cottage Brownies founder has already become a bestseller – proving that our love affair with brownies is alive and well.

For a treat, we catch up with Kate over a brownie or two – and share a sneak peek at a pair of our favourite recipes.

Take us back to the beginning. How did Gower Cottage Brownies first come to life?

As a stay-at-home mum, I started selling my family’s favourite brownies through our local village shop to earn a little extra money while working around the boys. I never dreamed it would turn into something so big and special.

Were you always a whizz in the kitchen?

Nope! I’m completely self-taught when it comes to both cooking and baking.

Tell us all about The Brownerie – what makes it such a special part of the Gower Cottage Brownies story?

The Brownerie is the heart of the brand – it’s where all the magic happens. Our brilliant team hand-bakes, hand-cuts and hand-wraps every box of Gower Cottage Brownies. We’re so lucky to have found such a special space in a beautiful rural location.

What does a typical day’s brownie production look like?

During our quieter periods, we produce around 250 gift boxes per day. With 12 brownies in each box that works out at roughly 3,000 brownies per day. At peak times, particularly in the run up to Christmas, those numbers increase dramatically to around 1,500 gift boxes daily – around 18,000 brownies!

What’s been your most unforgettable moment at work so far?

There have been so many, it’s hard to choose. But receiving a phone call from the All England Lawn Tennis Club asking if we’d supply brownies for Wimbledon has to be up there. That was an incredible moment – and we’re proud to say we’ve been supplying them ever since, for the past 10 years.

How much does keeping it close to home in Wales shape what you do?

Community is huge to me. Being based in such a rural location and having started the business as a mum in the village, it’s important that we continue to support local people. We now employ a team of local staff, many of whom are mums too which means we’re able to offer flexibility around family life. When it comes to ingredients, we try to keep things as Welsh as possible. The one exception is our chocolate – for that, we have to use the very best Belgian chocolate.

What’s your biggest oops moment?

No specific baking fail springs to mind, although we’re constantly testing new flavour additions and they often take a while to perfect. My biggest mistake over was probably letting the business become so busy that I wasn’t making enough time to spend with the boys. We put that right when my husband gave up his job to work alongside me, allowing us to have the time for their extra curricular activities, homework, haircuts and everything in between!

If success had a recipe, what would be in it?

A damn good brownie recipe, for starters! But also creating a gift service that works for every occasion – the good times, the bad times, and everything in between. Keeping our brownies at an accessible price point, with delivery included, as always been important to us. Also keeping it simple.. we just make really good brownies.

What are a few kitchen essentials you simply couldn’t live without?

The essential that are both practical and also beautiful would have to be my KitchenAid, vintage weighing scales, and an Everhot range. As for the real tools of the trade, I’d say a decent spatula, plenty of greaseproof paper and an icing sugar shaker – everything looks better with a little dusting of icing sugar over the top!

So… what are your all time favourite cookbooks on the shelf?

Delia.. the queen of cooking, and my very first cookbook – One Is Fun! Her Complete Cookery Course is my kitchen encyclopaedia – it’s been used so much that the spine has completely fallen apart. I also love Nigella’s recipes for simple but exciting inspiration and I own every book by Sabrina Ghayour’s as they’re super simple but beautiful feasting dishes.

What’s next on the menu for the business?

We’re lucky to grow year on year because our lovely customers are so loyal to us. Plus The Brownie Book becoming an instant Sunday Times bestseller has also introduced us to a whole new audience, which has been incredibly exciting. We’re always testing new recipes and creating limited-edition flavours, but we just want to continue doing what we do and doing it to the very best of our ability. Most importantly, we want to carry on sharing the brownie love!

Fancy trying out a recipe yourself?

Jaffa Cake Blondie

Ingredients (makes 9)

175g (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, diced
finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed orange
150g (5½oz) white chocolate, broken into small pieces
300g (1½ cups) caster sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract or paste
150g (1 cup plus 2 tbsp) plain flour
½ tsp baking powder
3 eggs

For the orange jelly layer

135g (4¾oz) packet orange jelly
juice of 2 unwaxed oranges, finely grated zest of 1
2 tbsp apricot jam

For the chocolate topping

230g (8oz) dark (50%) chocolate, broken into small pieces
1 tbsp neutral vegetable oil

Method

Preheat the oven to 180ºC (160ºC fan/350ºF/Gas 4).
Put a medium (about 20cm/8in) heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat. Add the butter and melt slowly, stirring continuously (be careful not to let it catch and burn). Turn the heat to low, add the chocolate and, using a spatula, keep stirring until the chocolate has melted completely into the butter. It will look a little oily and almost split at this stage but keep stirring until you have a smooth, glossy mixture. Add the orange zest to the butter as it melts to help infuse the orange flavour throughout the blondies.
Take the pan off the heat. Add the sugar and vanilla to the pan and use a spatula to mix thoroughly. Add the flour and baking powder and mix into the wet ingredients until you have a yellow chocolatey mixture that resembles wet sand, with no lumps of flour or sugar visible.
In a medium bowl, use a hand whisk to whisk the eggs for 20–30 seconds until they’re light and frothy. Using a large metal spoon, carefully fold the whisked eggs through the chocolate mixture, keeping as much air in the mixture as possible, to form a thick, smooth batter.
Pour the batter into a prepared baking tray (8 x 8in), spreading it evenly over the base. Bake for 35–40 minutes. It is done when the edges are set and the centre has risen and started to crack but may still look a bit soft and wobbly.
Test with a cocktail stick. If it comes out completely covered in smooth batter, bake for a few minutes more. When it’s perfectly cooked, the cocktail stick should come out with a few small clumps of batter sticking to it. If it comes out clean, the blondie will be more cake-like. Leave to cool completely in the tray on a wire rack for 1–2 hours.
Meanwhile, prepare the orange jelly layer. Break the orange jelly into pieces and put in a small heatproof bowl. Pour the orange juice into a heatproof measuring jug. Add boiling water to make up 150ml (⅔ cup) of liquid and pour the hot liquid over the jelly, stirring until the jelly is completely dissolved. Stir in the orange zest. Pour enough of the jelly mixture into the second prepared baking tray (8 x 8in) to cover the base to a depth of 5mm (¼ in). Chill in the fridge for 1 hour, or until firmly set.
Meanwhile, for the chocolate topping, put the dark chocolate in a heatproof, microwave-safe bowl, cover, and carefully melt in short 10-second blasts on high power, stirring each time until the chocolate is smooth and melted (be very careful not to overheat). Stir in the oil and leave the chocolate to cool and thicken slightly.
To assemble, once the blondie base is completely cool, spread the apricot jam thinly over the top. Remove the set jelly layer from its tray, using the baking parchment to help you. Place the orange jelly layer on top of the apricot jam layer. Gently spoon the melted chocolate over the jelly layer and use a palette knife to smooth it out, being careful not to rip the jelly.
Leave to set completely until the chocolate has hardened, for about 1 hour, before removing from the tray. Using a sharp knife to help prevent the chocolate from cracking, cut into 9 equal serving pieces.

Espresso Martini Brownie

Ingredients (makes 9, or 36 canapés)

For the butter infusion

1 tsp juniper berries
1 tsp coriander seeds
6 cardamom pods
1 strip lemon peel
175g (11⁄2 sticks) unsalted butter, diced

For the brownie

100g (31⁄2oz) dark (70%) chocolate, in small pieces
300g (11⁄2 cups) caster sugar
1⁄2 tsp vanilla extract or paste
100g (3⁄4 cup plus 1 tbsp) plain flour
1⁄2 tsp baking powder
3 eggs
11⁄2 tbsp gin (optional) coffee beans, to decorate

For the butter icing

150g (1 stick plus 2 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened
300g (21⁄2 cups) icing sugar
3 tbsp gin
2 tbsp instant coffee powder, plus extra to decorate (optional)

Method

Preheat the oven to 180o C (160oC fan/350oF/Gas 4).
Begin by making the butter infusion. Wrap the juniper berries, coriander seeds, cardamom pods, and lemon peel in a piece of muslin and tie with kitchen string to enclose. Melt the butter in a pan over a low heat, then add the muslin bag. Maintain a very low simmer for 15–20 minutes to gently infuse the spices into the butter. Don’t let the butter brown or burn. At the end of the cooking time, squeeze the bag gently to remove as much butter and flavouring as possible, then discard the bag and spices. This infused butter will be used for the brownie batter.
Add the chocolate pieces to the pan, and melt the chocolate into the infused butter.
Put a medium (about 20cm/8in) heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat. Add the butter and melt slowly, stirring continuously (be careful not to let it catch and burn). Turn the heat to low, add the chocolate, and – using a spatula – keep stirring until the chocolate has melted completely into the butter and you have a smooth, glossy mixture.
Take the pan off the heat. Add the sugar and vanilla to the pan and mix thoroughly. Add the flour and baking powder and stir until you have a fine, chocolatey mixture that resembles breadcrumbs, with no lumps of flour or sugar visible.
In a medium bowl, use a hand whisk to whisk the eggs for 20–30 seconds until light and frothy. Using a large metal spoon, carefully fold the whisked eggs through the chocolate mixture, keeping as much air in the mixture as possible, to form a smooth batter.
Pour the brownie batter into the prepared tray, spreading it evenly over the base and bake for 30 minutes. It is done when the edges are set, and the centre has risen and started to crack but may still look a bit soft and wobbly. Test with a cocktail stick. Leave to cool in the tray on a wire rack for 1–2 hours.
Meanwhile, for the butter icing, in a separate medium bowl, use a spatula to beat the butter for 1–2 minutes until light and fluffy. Sieve in the icing sugar and carefully mix until fully incorporated and smooth. Add the 3 tablespoons gin and the coffee powder and mix again until you have a smooth, well-combined icing.
Once it has cooled, prick the top of the brownie all over using a cocktail stick and drizzle over the 11⁄2 tablespoons of gin, if using. Using a palette knife, spread the icing evenly over the top of the brownie. Decorate with a few coffee beans and a sprinkle of instant coffee powder, if you like. Slice into 9 equal pieces and serve. For canapés, cut each brownie into 4 pieces for 36 bite-sized brownies.

Take us back to the beginning. How did Gower Cottage Brownies first come to life?

Were you always a whizz in the kitchen?

Tell us all about The Brownerie – what makes it such a special part of the Gower Cottage Brownies story?

What does a typical day’s brownie production look like?

What’s been your most unforgettable moment at work so far?

How much does keeping it close to home in Wales shape what you do?

What’s your biggest oops moment?

If success had a recipe, what would be in it?

What are a few kitchen essentials you simply couldn’t live without?

So… what are your all time favourite cookbooks on the shelf?

What’s next on the menu for the business?

Fancy trying out a recipe yourself?

Jaffa Cake Blondie

Ingredients (makes 9)

Method

Espresso Martini Brownie

Ingredients (makes 9, or 36 canapés)

Method

FANCY ANOTHER ONE?

What’s Cooking? Muddy meets Wales’ Queen of Brownies, Kate Jenkins

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