Salted Espresso Fudge Brownies

There are brownies, and there are HEAVY DUTY brownies like these. The kind of brownies that discourage driving or operating complicated machinery, immediately afterward. Brownies that make your primary care physician gasp in horror at the blood test results.

Heavy. Duty. Brownies.

Not only intensely decadent and fudgy, these also have a hit of espresso. [Ed. note: WAIT A MINUTE YOU DIDN'T TELL ME THAT BEFOREHAND WHY AM I FLYING DID YOU SEE THAT ROLLER-SKATING ELEPHANT IS THIS MUCH FUN LEGAL]

However the most important aspect of this dessert is the frosting-to-brownie ratio, which you can properly see in the photo below. Am all about the frosting. As far as I'm concerned there can never be enough, and if you're the same these won't disappoint.

You could wait until Halloween to treat yourself to this, but if you make it now I won't tell. (It actually freezes very well, if you want to put some of it away for later.)

All of the usual "healthy" disclaimers, well, yeah. Kind of out the window. But you knew that at the title, right?

Look at that frosting, and check out the chocolate chips in there. [Ed. note: WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE]

The recipe was adapted from Thalia's blog Butter & Brioche. Didn't really change a thing. And I even kept her measurements in grams, as you really want to be extra careful of amounts. If you over-measure the flour, you will have a disappointingly dry brownie. If you're serious about baking, I strongly recommend buying a kitchen scale (have a Oxo digital food scale that kicks ass).

Enjoy!

PS: Because we can't be all sweets all the time, last year's countdown to Halloween included a vegan garam masala carrot soup (www.moveablefeast.me/blog/vegan-garam-masala-carrot-soup).

Adapted from: Butter & Brioche
Number of servings: Makes one 8 x 8" pan 

Ingredients
Brownies

• 85 g all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp espresso powder
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 175 g unsalted butter, cubed
• 300 g granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 75 g dutch processed cocoa powder (make sure to use dutch processed)
• 1 tbsp vanilla bean extract
• 200 g dark chocolate chips (70% cocoa solids were used here, but you could use a chocolate that’s a little lighter in percentage. Do not use milk chocolate. Specifically, I used 100 g of dark chocolate chips and 100 g Callebaut dark chocolate block, chopped into small chunks or small squares.)

Frosting

• 120 g dark chocolate, finely chopped
• 200 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 400 g confectioners’ sugar
• 100 ml heavy cream
• 50 g dutch processed cocoa powder
• 2 tsp espresso powder
• 1 tsp vanilla bean extract
• Flaked salt or fleur de sel, for finishing

Directions
Brownies

1. ​Pre-heat the oven to 350 °F. Grease and line a 8 x 8" square baking pan with non-stick parchment paper. Let the paper slightly overhang the sides.
2. Whisk together the flour, espresso powder, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. Put the butter and sugar into a medium-sized saucepan. Heat over medium-low, whisking often, until the sugar is dissolved and mixture is shiny and smooth. Do not allow it to bubble or foam. If you have a candy thermometer, you can tell it is ready when it registers at 122 °F.
4. While the butter mixture is melting over the stove, whisk the eggs, cocoa and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until it is glossy and flows like lava, about two minutes. Set the mixer speed on medium and slowly stream in the melted butter mixture. Whisk until evenly combined. Pause mixing and sift over the dry ingredients. Again, whisk until just combined.
5. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer. Use a large wooden spoon or rubber spatula to fold in the chocolate chips until evenly incorporated throughout the batter. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan and use an offset palette knife to smooth out the top.
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the brownie is firm around the edges and just set in the middle (do not overbake). A wooden skewer inserted into the middle should not come out clean but with a few moist crumbs attached.
7. Remove from the oven and allow the brownie to cool completely in its pan. Once cool, coat the top of the brownie with the salted espresso frosting before sprinkling with salt and serving.

Frosting

1. First, melt down the chocolate. Place chocolate into a medium-sized heat-proof bowl set over a saucepan filled with a few inches of barely simmering water. Do not let the bottom of the bowl touch the water below. Heat over medium-low, stirring often, until melted and smooth. (I microwaved the chocolate in 30 second intervals.) Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.
2. Meanwhile, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the beater attachment, beat together butter and sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about four minutes. Set the mixer speed to medium-low and slowly stream in the melted chocolate. Return the speed back to medium and beat until well combined, a further two minutes. Beat in the cream, cocoa, espresso, and vanilla until incorporated. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and beat for a further minute, or until the frosting is lightened in color, smooth, and aerated.
3. When you’re ready to frost the cooled brownies, use an offset palette knife or the back of a metal spoon to thickly spread the frosting over the top of the brownie. At this point, I like to chill the brownie for about half hour to slightly set the top so it’s easier to cut, but you could serve the brownies straight away. Make sure to sprinkle over a little pinch of flaked salt or fleur de sel, right before serving.