Winter warmers and tasty treats with Brü | #ItsBrümas*

Hey guys,

On Tuesday I attended possibly my favourite event to date at Brü Coffee and Gelato, which is on Granby Street (number 22 to be exact) in Leicester. Along with a few of my favourite blogging buds, I sampled some of the insanely delicious food and drink offerings Brü has on their winter menu this year - which launches on the 14th November. If you follow me on Snapchat, you might have seen a few of the treats being unveiled, but I didn't go into too much detail on there as I was otherwise engaged.. (AKA stuffing my face.)

So sit back, relax, and be prepared for some serious food envy. Don't say I didn't warn you!

The most aesthetically pleasing and Instagram appropriate beverages EVER!

 Look no further than Brü for every hot drink you could ever wish for this winter. I'm not even kidding. Whether you're a caffeine addict like myself, or more of a chocolate lover, you won't be left disappointed with what's on offer.

We were having a "man overboard" situation with the Oreo hot chocolate...

First up is the ol' classic Gingerbread Latte. And who can blame them for bringing this beauty back? Whilst many coffee chains offer this drink on their seasonal menus, their versions often lack the ginger kick that makes Brü's so darn delicious. A quick vote amongst the bloggers showed that this one edged the award for favourite drink of the night!

The Spiced Orange Hot Chocolate, adorned with a full size Terry's chocolate orange wedge, was potentially the best hot choc I've ever had. Big claim. As much as I do love my chocolate, I've always been conscious that I'd rather eat my calories than drink them. Is that weird? (Rhetorical question, don't answer) Nevertheless the addition of the spicy orange stops the drink from being too sweet and gives it a real edge! Side note: does anyone else remember those classic Terry's adverts with Dawn French? 

If my Cookies and Cream Hot Chocolate had been full sized, it might have been slightly too sickly for me, however you sweet-toothed fiends will love this one! The blended biscuits gave it a really rich, velvety texture and I could imagine it being really comforting on a cold winter's day. So yum!

Regina George: "It's her dream come true, diving into a big pile of girls cake"

So after some gorgeous hot drinks, it was on to the cakes. Somewhere between boasting about having a second stomach just for deserts, and finishing cake numero tres, I hit the wall and sadly had to call it a day on the food sampling. This meant I didn't get to try the Black Forest Gateau Roulade, which received many oohs and aahs from the girls, especially from Laura, over at Extreme Housewifery. (I've linked her fab review of the event too!)

Too much cake for poor old Izzy #FirstWorldProblems

The Mini Chocolate Bundt cakes seemed to vanish into thin air, so I didn't get a photo or a bite of those either; although I'm pretty sure my body had already reached 100% cocoa capacity anyway. Safe to say the other girls looked as though they were enjoying them immensely. The lovely Chloe that baked all of these wonderful creations suggested the Bundt Cakes worked well cold as served, or hot with a scoop of ice cream on the side!

Lora going in for the kill...

Lemon Tart is a classic pudding that doesn't necessarily scream Christmas, but it's such a crowd pleaser, especially when done right - and boy was this done soooo right! My pet peeve with citrus flavours in baking, is when there's not enough tartness, but the balance between the sweetness and lemon was perfect.  It was also so light and fluffy, I could have eaten the whole pie. (The Friends episode where Rachel and Chandler eat multiple cheesecakes and Joey carries a fork in his pocket springs to mind. Here's a little refresh)

I'm coming straight back for these on November 12th!

The beautiful Stephanie from Priceless Life of Mine and I made the noble decision to share one of the Ginger Nut and Vanilla Cheesecakes. Now this worked out quite conveniently for us as everyone else followed suit and we were both lucky enough to take another of these home for later for the family...  As you may have gathered, I love puddings with a bit of spice or heat to them, so I knew these were going to be right up my street. The cheesecake itself was so smooth and creamy, and the ginger-biscuit base perfectly contrasted it with its nutty texture and sharpness. (Honestly I'm just sad I have to wait four more days before I can demolish another of these again!)

Essentially, if this was cake week on the Great British Bake Off, Chloe would be winning Star Baker right about now.

Last but definitely not least was the Cherry and Amaretti Cheesecake. This one got a rave reception back home, and resulted in a vicious fight to the death between my Grandma and Granddad over who had the last bite. Jokes aside, there was some squabbling and then Granddad made the very wise decision in handing over the cake, begrudgingly I might add. It was beautifully fluffy and although I'm not the biggest cherry fan, I stand corrected as it was actually one of the most delicious things of the night, and the amaretti biscuits were the perfect addition.

Lora you are D bestest!

Emmie from CarpeDiemEmmie and Kirsty from Behind the Scent added to the festive spirit of the event by insisting on us wearing Christmas Jumpers, handing out cards, and a fun game of pass the parcel! They also organised Secret Santa amongst the bloggers and my mysterious present giver was the beautiful Lora. Her prezzies were so perfect and thoughtful; a Deliciously Ella cook book, which I have been pining over for 1000000 years and the cutest little trinket dish that says 'Hello Sunshine" on it. I feel like all of the girls put so much thought into their gifts, I mean, what's a blogger without her research anyway?

I have to finish by saying a huge thank you to Chloe at Brü for slaving away baking such scrumptious deserts for us, and to the whole team for providing such an amazing spread, and evening in general. My favourite little detail had to be the vintage tapes with our names on them, the cutest idea for a place setting I've ever seen! And I've been on Pinterest a LOT.

Sooooo cute!

The winter menu launches on November the 14th and I know this post has probably persuaded you enough, but just in case, I'll sign off by saying, get your butts down to Brü this Christmas!

Thanks for reading your Dose of Brumas

Disclaimer: I was kindly invited by Brü to attend their winter menu preview night in exchange for a review. All words and thoughts, as always are my own. Let's be real, nobody can sway me when it comes to cake. xox