Amai Champagne Brownies

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed)
Dec 19th 2006 at 6:01PM

Amai is a relatively young bakery based in New York that specializes in brownies and other treats made from scratch with all-natural, high quality ingredients. Their flavors tend towards indulgent, but slightly unusual, combinations, such as Luscious Lychee and Mandarin [Orange] Dreams brownies. Slightly less exotic but ideal for the celebratory spirit of the season are Amai's Champagne Brownies. Sold in boxes of four or eight, the dark chocolate brownies have an intense flavor and are topped with a fine champagne glaze, in addition to having a subtle taste of champagne from the sparkling wine mixed into the batter. The 8-brownie pack is $42.

Tags: amai, brownie, brownies, celebrate, celebration, champagne

Filed under: Dining

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Reader Comments (Page 6 of 6)

Lucy Dec 29th 2006 1:25PM

The United States is about the entreprenurial spirit and capitalism and freedom of choice. One person produces something and another person buys it. If the item is not satisfactory, people are free to choose not to purchase and the producer will go out of business rather quickly. The brownie maker is contributing to society and making money to support himself so as not to be a burden on society. He is (i) purchasing the ingredients for his brownies (keeping the flour and dairy producers and other food vendors in business), (ii) designing and buying packaging for his brownies(helping the design agencies and paper mill employees remain in business) and (iii) utilizing courier services for delivery (keeping postal, UPS and FedEx workers employed). Let's not forget the equipment (steel industry) and other items purchased or rented to operate the bakery. Spending money keeps the economy going. Donating to charity keeps the human spirit going. Eating a brownie while writing a check to charity before the end of the year in order to get a nice tax write-off ... that's the American Way!

Debbie Bernard Dec 29th 2006 6:02PM

I've had these brownies and think they are great. The packaging is elegant and luxurious, just like the brownies themselves. I also like their botanical brownies (mandarin orange is the best). Oh and by the way, I donate plenty to charities (mostly related to helping children) and I shop at Target! Enjoy!

Molly Rae Dec 29th 2006 6:57PM

I find it interesting and somewhat sad that not everybody appreciates the finer things in life. I bought brownies and tea cookies from Amai for holiday gifts. The response was incredible! I plan on giving them again next Christmas. All that said, taste is subjective and that’s what makes the world go ‘round. For some with a refined palate, Amai Tea Cookies or Brownies provide the perfect pairing with great tea; however, for others, a couple of Twinkies provide the perfect pairing with a pint of Colt 45. C'est la Vie! By the way, I also made several donations to charity! Spending money on luxuries does not preclude one from donating to charity. In fact every luxury item purchase helps keep somebody employed allowing them to give to charity too. I love capitalism!

Amai Owner Dec 29th 2006 10:14PM

Hello everyone. I am the owner of Amai, and the one responsible for this creation (and its price!) Thank you to everyone for taking such interest in the brownies and sharing your thoughts. I had no idea it could generate such a heated debate, but I am glad to see all sides represented. From my perspective, these brownies, in this packaging, are gift items. They are not meant to compare to homemade brownies, or grocery items that you buy and eat on a regular basis. They are a unique gift, meant to show appreciation to someone special. We do offer our cookies and brownies without packaging to many tea shops at a much lower price, since they are meant to be eaten straight away. In the case of this package of Champagne Brownies, the $42 mostly accounts for our time in preparing and wrapping each brownie. We take great pride in the details, and want to offer something really special and of high quality. We also use real chocolate, real sparkling wine and real champagne glaze. Everything is done by hand, the old-fashioned way. This costs more money, but we feel it is worth it. I hope many of you will enjoy them. As for donating the money to charity instead, that is certainly a worthy option. Everyone, including Amai, should donate whatever time and money they can to help others. As a small start, these brownies are being donated to a cancer charity auction in January. We hope to do much, much more as our small company grows. If you have suggestions for your favorite charities, please feel free to send me a note at ineedsweets at amainyc.com. Whatever you think about these brownies, we hope that you know that there are real people behind Amai that care. I started this company to create something special, inspire others and bring people together. We'll keep working to make our products the best they can be, and give back whenever we can. Best wishes to everyone for a wonderful new year. ~Kelli

Amai Owner Dec 29th 2006 10:16PM

p.s. Happy Birthday Lisa!! :)

Kristin Dec 30th 2006 12:20AM

I support Amai Tea and Bake House all the way! The packaging, logo, brownies, cookies, and the owner are all prefecto!! Happy eating!

Keith Metchis Dec 30th 2006 12:33AM

I was first hooked on Amai's unique flair with last Christmas' champagne brownies. Their chef obviously has a great deal of experience and expertise when it comes to blending two unique tastes to create a symphony of flavor. From tea flavored cookies to chocolate and champagne, I've yet to find something that I haven't absolutely adored.

Waseem Feb 4th 2007 11:34PM

The thing I hate the most about luxist are all the people that keep commenting on how expensive or how ignorant it is to buy something expensive when you could give it to the poor. This blog is called LUXIST and is aimed at people who enjoy these things and like to consume luxury goods. Freedom of choice, my friends, is one of the foundation of a free market system and capitalism. SO MY ADVICE TO ALL THE NEGATIVE COMMENTATORS....GO START A BLOG ON HOW TO USE YOUR MONEY TO FEED THE POOR, or actually do it and please stop reading this blog and annoying the hell out of everyone else.

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