This blog has made me look at myself really introspectively. Like why, why do I make dessert when I have no occasion to do so. What brought me here? Is it okay to eat brownies as meals, between meals? These are questions we all have to answer. I’ll leave you with your conscience.
My conscience tells me that dessert is always okay as long as you intend to share. I made these one afternoon, delighting in the whole house smelling like espresso. I iced them later that night, watching sugar and Hennessey bubble on the stove top. I shared them late in the week with friends at Ayden. They were to die for. I think that’s evidenced by one of my good friends eating about 6 of them. (He claims it wasn’t that many. I’m calling you out, Chad.)
- -----------------
- BROWNIES
- -----------------
- 3 cups lightly packed brown sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 8 extra large eggs
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- ⅛ tsp fine sea salt
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp instant espresso powder
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
- ----------------
- FROSTING
- ----------------
- 1¼ cup superfine sugar
- 2 tbsp instant espresso powder
- ¼ cup Hennessy (or other cognac)
- ¼ cup whole milk
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- -----------------
- BROWNIES
- -----------------
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Butter a 13x18 inch pan
- In a large bowl, mix brown sugar and butter on medium-low speed with an electric mixture, until well blended but not too fluffy.
- Add eggs to mixture one at a time, mixing each egg in before adding the next.
- Mix in vanilla and salt.
- In a medium bowl, add flour, cocoa powder, and espresso powder, stir to combine before mixing into sugar and butter on low-speed.
- Pour batter into your prepared pan, and add chocolate chips.
- Bake for 23.5 minutes. The batter will still be soft towards the middle of the pan.
- Cool brownies before frosting.
- ----------------
- FROSTING
- ----------------
- In a saucepan, combine sugar espresso powder, hennessy, milk, and butter, cooking over medium heat. Stir constantly until mixture comes to a boil, let mixture boil gently for 1 minute before removing from heat. Once removed from heat, add chocolate chips, stirring until smooth.
- Pour frosting over brownies, and allow the frosting to cool. Once set, cut brownies and serve.
Recipe adapted from Food 52 Baking.
I don’t know what it was about this recipe that appealed to me, especially since I don’t often drink Hennessey (I’m no rapper). I also don’t eat a lot of chocolate. Who cares though. These are something I would absolutely make again! They were weighty, but not overbearing. They were punchy with flavor, and each element contributed to that effect. They were a huge hit.
Eat Hennessey brownies, feel badass. Rap a little. Try not to rap, don’t embarrass yourself.
Shan
These brownies look really good. Dessert is always welcome in my house!