Rich, freshly-made chocolate brownies, anyone?

THE smell of chocolate was evident in the kitchen. The sweet, heavenly scent and aroma hung in the air.

I must confess I have a sweet tooth. Nothing soothes me more than a hot freshly-baked big slice of brownie with a tall glass of cold milk.

The best baked goods to me — be it cookies, muffins or a simple loaf of bread — are the ones which are made from scratch and obviously homemade as it gives a sense of authenticity to the finished product.

I recently got a chance to spend a day with Siti Syazwana Harun, an interesting, up-beat person.

Siti bakes an exquisite, rich chocolate brownies which she advertises and sells through her blog.

As I interviewed her, she prepared to place a tray of brownie batter into the oven.

She stated that her interest for baking probably came from her family.

"My aunts and late grandmother have always been talented in cooking and baking so it kind of grew on me," she explained.

When I asked her about the origins of her brownies' recipe, she stated that it was her own. Describing herself as a "Chocoholic", she said that she has basically got the texture and taste of her brownies right down to perfection.

Siti's brownie business started out as a means for her to be self sufficient by earning some extra cash during her university break.

She has more orders for her brownies now, as she has finished her Master's degree and is back home in Brunei Darussalam.

Siti is also an avid blogger, an activity which she started in 2001.

I could see why she chose her blog as a means of selling her brownies.

With Brunei being a pretty close community she stated that thanks to reviews given by other bloggers about her brownies and also generally through favourable word of mouth promotion, sales had been picking up very well.

She has even dedicated a section of her blog to a gallery where brownie lovers can send in pictures to show their love of brownies.

She has implemented an ordering system in her blog where people can book a tray of brownies through "Brownie Slots".

Normally, she prepares for bigger orders on weekdays and so prepares her ingredients the night before.

The next day she would travel to her aunt's well equipped kitchen in Jerudong which is complete with an industrial mixer and an industrial oven.

Later in the day, people would drop by and pick up their orders of freshly-baked brownies from the oven.

She is currently working on new recipes to further expand her menu.

"Youths should use their talents and turn it into something more fruitful and not waste their free time," stated Siti.

"Why not use your free time and turn it into something more productive," added Siti.

Indeed, she is a good example for she has used the Internet and her talents to conduct something as productive as the brownies business.

She offered me a complementary brownie and with a smile on my face I took a bite and felt the rush of chocolate taste teasing my tastebuds.

Those interested can contact Siti Syazwana at +6738 950000 or visit her website at www.sasmonroe.net.

A box of brownies is priced at $15 a box and is worth every penny. (MAN1)

The Brunei Times