Food: Dark Chocolate Bourbon Brownies
I know some of us are in the thick heat of summer but the last couple of days have been cooler and when one gets a craving for chocolate, it must be satisfied. Why not just grab a piece of chocolate or a candy bar and satisfy said craving?? Well let me start by saying, I never do anything the easy way. Trust me when I tell you that there is something pleasingly decadent about sinking your teeth into a warm homemade brownie while you enjoy a nip of whiskey. And if that brownie is made with bourbon? That’s what we call doubling your pleasure. Read on.
This recipe is quick to put together, quick to bake and quick to cool. Before you know it, the rich smell of baking chocolate is wafting through the house. These brownies are more like a sheet cake and would be perfect, freshly cut, still warm, with a scoop of ice cream. If you have some of my Bourbon Caramel Sauce or my Boozy Bread Pudding sauce from previous posts, add a generous pour over top. Holy heaven.
Ingredients: Makes 6 dessert servings or 12 squares
- ½ cup butter plus some for buttering foil/pan
- 4 tbsp bourbon + 2 oz
- 1 cup semi sweet choc chips
- 2 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- ¼ cocoa powder
- ½ cup of icing sugar
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup flour
Method:
Preheat the oven to 350 F
Prep your pan by lightly buttering it, then lining with foil or parchment and butter that was well.
In a large saucepan combine butter and 4 tbsp bourbon over med heat, stirring until melted.
Add the cocoa powder, stirring until smooth.
Add the half the semi-sweet chips and all the bittersweet chocolate. Stir until melted.
Remove from heat and add the sugar, stirring until smooth. Let cool for a couple minutes.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each egg.
Stir in the flour.
Pour in the prepared pan and sprinkle with remaining semi sweet chips.
Set that timer for 20 minutes.
Pour yourself that 2oz of bourbon and let the oven do its thing. Imagine having a sip of bourbon and the dark chocolate taste of one of your brownies. Soon, my friend, soon.
At the 20 min mark, check the brownies…bake up to additional 5 min or until brownies pull away from the foil. There could be butter bubbling around the edges and that’s okay. Remove from oven and place pan on a wire rack to cool.
Using an offset spatula, spread the melted choc chips to form a glaze/icing. Allow to cool completely in the pan on the rack.
When cooled, lift out with the foil and cut into desired squares.
Tip #1 – I don’t remember where I read this, but someone is a genius. When you need to line a baking pan with foil, take the pan and turn it upside down. Take your foil and form over the exterior of the pan. Set aside your shaped foil, turn your pan over and insert your formed foil into your pan and adjust if needed. This was a hand to the forehead moment for me when I read it and it works like a charm!!! No more tearing corners and huge folds in the foil. Great idea!
These brownies have just a wee hint of sweetness. The addition of the cocoa powder and bittersweet chocolate gives them a deep, dark chocolate flavor and that makes them far more enjoyable when paired with your bourbon. If you do prefer a sweeter brownie, you can omit the bittersweet chocolate and use 2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips.
Enjoy your made from scratch brownies as is, sprinkled with icing sugar, topped with an icing of your choice or served with ice cream and a warm boozy bourbon sauce. They will satisfy your chocolate craving and whatever you do, make sure to enjoy a bourbon with them. It’s a match made in heaven.
Cheers!
Maureen Linehan