Cosmos Brownies

Most of the time we feature candy chocolate or gourmet chocolates here on The Chocolate Cult.  This is really a reflection of the companies that send us products not a bias that we have.  Baked goods -- cookies, brownies, cakes, pastries -- are difficult to ship so they are a rare treat us to receive.  Cosmos Brownies sent us not one, not two, but one brownie in each of their six flavors so today we are going to reveal them to you in their full sensory glory.   Note: the sampling for this review was done within two weeks of receiving them so that they were fresher and this review is pre-written.  All of these brownies weigh 3oz and are 3 inch squares but I'll explain their variations in thickness where appropriate.

Let's start with the basics and the "Double Fudge" brownie so we can compare the other flavors to this one in terms of chocolate and texture.  This has the standard allergens for brownies -- eggs, wheat, and milk -- that all of these brownies have; I'll note extra allergens when they apply.  This is thick at almost 1.5 inches, making it slightly thicker than the other five flavors.  It has a definite fudge scent to it once I unwrap it.  When I take a bite I discover the texture leans more toward the fudgy than the cakey brownie, the two general types you can make brownies in depending on the number of eggs you use.  The flavor is fudge as well but with a strong sweet essence to it that I was not expecting.  Of course it makes no sound at all, why would it, but the cocoa is so strong that even 1/3 of this brownie is more than enough for me; I shared the rest.  I think this would be an excellent base for a scoop of vanilla ice cream, firm enough to hold that ice and chocolatey enough to be satisfying.

The "Mintalicious" brownie is next with peppermint, not mint so it may not be what you initially think when you see the title, I thought mint not peppermint myself.  A good cocoa scent hits my nose after I unwrap this bar.  It looks very solid but there are a few white flecks I see and am curious about.  At 1.25 inches thick this very much like the "Double Fudge" in looks.  Taking a bite I find that the texture is a cross between the fudgy type of brownie and the more cakelike brownies I've had in the past.  The peppermint flavor is very subtle except when I find one of the white flecks that turns out to be pieces of peppermint candy -- not listed on the label but I'm certain as were those I shared this with that this is what we all found.  The pieces of peppermint add that extra oomph to the otherwise good cocoay brownie as well as a bit of crunchy texture and sound.  I'm still thrown by the name a bit, I still think just mint, but when I take this for what it is -- peppermint -- it is a nice subtle treat.

One of my favorite flavor combinations is always peanut butter and chocolate and Cosmos Brownies delivers this in the "Peanut Butter" brownie with a twist: the peanut butter topping.  As you can see this is a layer of 2/5th an inch of peanut butter brownie or batter baked on the top of the chocolate brownie.  The scent is very strongly peanut butter but there is a good undercurrent of the cocoa.  The top layer is softer; yes I even pull off some and try it and the rest of the brownie separately for you all, Sisters and Brothers.  The two flavors blend very well and the cocoa is strong enough to be the ending essence while the peanut butter is of a roasted yet sweet creamy nature.  A good choice for the chocolate and peanut butter lovers out there.

I love walnut brownies, oh, heck, I just love walnuts but I live with a husband who is very allergic to tree nuts; you may recall our report on Chocolate!Chocolate! and how his tree nut allergy threatened to ruin the event for us.  Cosmos Brownies does offer a "Walnut" variety that looks simply and delicious to my eyes.  As soon as I unwrap it, a strong cocoa scent hits my nose, I don't smell the walnuts not even when I bring my nose right to the brownie.  This is 1.25 inche tall and it is a side piece so one edge has a crunchy texture to it.  I often choose the side or corner pieces when I bake myself.  It looks very dense and I can see pieces of walnuts inside before even taking a bite.  The first bite has a good fudgy flavor but oddly a more cakelike texture, a hybrid as several of the varieties above.  There is a walnut in this first bite; there are at least 12 bites (my size) in this huge brownie.  10 of the 12 bites had walnuts in them and these were always slightly crunchy and fairly large.  Around the walnuts the brownie was a bit moister and more fudgy in texture though not more chocolaty in taste.  I liked it a lot, I'd add extra chocolate personally to crank up the cocoa more but these were what I expect from a walnut brownie.

The next tree nut brownie is the "Turtle" that has pecans, chocolate chips, and caramel primarily on the top.  This is a bit shorter than the previous brownies with 0.75 brownie a quarter an inch of topping; I imagine the weight of all these chocolate chips, pecans, and caramel weighed down the brownie as it baked.  The brownie part looks more fudgy, more flat and dense.  The pecans and caramel overpower the cocoa in terms of fragrance.  This is a corner piece so two of the sides have that nice crunchy nature to them.  The pecans make a soft sound as I chew. The brownie itself is indeed very fudgy and surprisingly the topping does not overwhelm it but blends very nicely though the sweetened pecans are the final flavors.  The specific allergen concern for this brownie are the pecans; another tree nut that my husband only growled at when he saw the brownie. Hey, I gave him most of the other brownies I could share with him and got his opinion so I don't feel bad, Sisters and Brothers.  In fact, I really, really loved this brownie.

Rene, our Chocolate Fruit Acolyte, took on the Coconut role for this featured review because I don't see our Chocolate Coconut Acolyte as often as I used.  The "Coconut Bliss" brownie's is part brownie and then the shredded coconut on top at almost 0.75 inches of that height.  This has all of the standard allergens mentioned in our first brownie but also almonds and, of course, coconut. It was very moist. Had a distinct coconut smell. Looked very pretty with the zigzag chocolate on top. The brownie part was very mild and not sweet, which worked well with the sweet coconut layer on top. The coconut was very denseand chewy, good stuff. I'd say if you like coconut, you'd like this.

Six big brownies from Cosmos Brownies, a fairly new company, just marking it's one year anniversary.  All of these brownies were just what many of you would like -- a good cross between the fudgy and the cakey, therefore having a wider appeal that simply one type of brownie.  The cocoa came through well in most of these and the added ingredients did indeed contribute positively to the over all textures and flavors and not replace cocoa.  The ingredients were real with no preservatives so you'll want to eat these fairly soon -- within three weeks -- or freeze them if you want to hang on to them longer.  Cosmos' brownies get our bite of approval as a Sacrament for all our brownie lovers out there.  Give them a look and a try.