4th of July Favorite: CK Mondavi Wine & Chocolate Dream Brownies

When we moved to Texas middle of July last year, the one thing I knew I was going to miss was my best friend AND her amazing 4th of July parties.

You know even if it wasn’t elaborate (oh, but last year for our farewell they pulled out ALL the stops with the fireworks, I don’t think her son has a college fund anymore…), being with friends is like the epitome of what the 4th of July is all about.  Tasty food, great friends, good wine.  Yep, nothing like celebrating a 238th birthday with those.

I don’t want to be prepping or fussing when it comes to parties on the 4th, so we keep it relatively simple.  One of my favorite things to serve at summer get togethers is a simple brownie recipe.  It’s not fancy, it doesn’t take long to make, it uses store bought ingredients, but it gets scarfed up everywhere I bring it.  Because it’s chocolate.  It’s sweet and chocolatey and pairs fantastic with a glass of CK Mondavi Scarlet Five.

Scarlet Five has five red varieties capturing the best of each vintage. It has the backbone of Cabernet, the finesse of Merlot, the structure of Petit Verdot, the foral essence of Cabernet Franc and the boldness of Malbec. This full-bodied wine offers flavors of black cherries and plums and ends in a soft, balanced finish.

CHOCOLATE DREAM BROWNIES

1 19 oz. box fudge brownie mix
1 7 1/2 oz. jar marshmallow crème
1 1/2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa
8 oz (1/2 tub) prepared fudge chocolate frosting
4 oz Hershey’s Milk Chocolate spread or Nutella

DIRECTIONS

Bake brownie mix according to package directions for fudgy brownies (not cake like) in a 13 x 9 inch pan.  Allow brownies to cool.  Once cooled remove from pan and place on a cutting board or large serving tray.

Mix the cocoa into the marshmallow crème and spread on the brownies.  Microwave the chocolate frosting until smooth, then the chocolate spread (or Nutella).  Drop frosting and spread on the marshmallow crème with a spoon and then gently spread it out.  The marshmallow crème may begin to soften and melt, and the chocolate might dribble over the sides.  Should that happen, spread it around the sides of the brownie with a spatula.

Freeze overnight uncovered.  Remove from the freezer about 1/2 hour before serving and cut into 2″ pieces.  This is very sweet.  Keep uneaten pieces in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a week.

CK Mondavi is the perfect 4th of July wine.  It is the only wine at its price point (supermarket wine under $10) that’s 100% USA made and grown, plus a percentage of its sales goes to supporting veterans.  So if you’re going to drink wine and party like it’s 1776, well why not be patriotic while doing that?!

A percentage of each bottle sold (up to $50,000) between May and August is donated to Intrepid Fallen Heroes.  IFHF is an organization that supports the men and women of the Armed Forces and their families.  It’s funded entirely by public donations and serves U.S. military personnel wounded or killed in service to our country and their families.  For more information visit their website.

Moving away may have meant leaving my BFF but I found some new friends in Texas, and sharing CK Mondavi on a girls night out was well received!

You can see Arena from The Nerd’s Wife blog was quite pleased with the Scarlet Blonde variety I brought along.  This is a brand new blend from CK Mondavi and will be on store shelves soon!  She got to try it before the general public – what a lucky gal!

Blonde Five is a light wine with aromas of honeysuckle and pear. Luscious flavors of baked apple, honey and lemon zest give this ‘blonde’ a refreshing finish on the palate.

CK Mondavi Chardonnay is medium-bodied with a hint of oak.  Aromas of lemon and citrus combined with flavors of apple and pear lead to a delightfully crisp finish.  Their Cabernet Sauvignon has a classically deep red color and is rich with cherry and blackberry flavors that are perfectly balanced with a hint of oak and a long fruit finish.

The Cabernet Sauvignon is really good especially for the price point.  It’s a taste that would go well with steak, a roast chicken or a hearty pasta (and chocolate, red wine is ALWAYS good with chocolate, just saying…).

Leave a comment and let us know if you purchase products that support veterans or if you’ve tasted CK Mondavi wines before and what you’ve thought of them.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.