Espresso Brownies

Espresso brownies make the world a better place

This recipe first appeared on my blog when it was called Piece of Cake under the name “Brownies make the world a better place” back in 2013. Here we are, eight years later, and my views have not changed. I did think it was time to revisit the recipe and tweak it a bit, and this version is a bit more gooey, if that was ever possible. There’s only a slight change in ingredients, it’s more the method that I tweaked, because if there’s anything I learned in Pastry School it’s that you need to treat your ingredients right. I also renamed them ‘Espresso Brownies’, because that’s exactly what these are.

The trick to getting gooey brownies

I use a two pot method, that may seem excessive because I’m so used to one bowl wonders, but it works in this. I melt the butter and sugar on a low flame in a sauce pan. You don’t want to turn the mixture into caramel, just heat it low and slow so the sugar starts to dissolve. Then mix in the corn syrup and cocoa powder. This intensifies the chocolate flavor and the corn syrup will help keep the brownies gooey. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl till frothy. This helps give that sheen on top. You then mix the two together into one delicious batter.

What to bake your espresso brownies in

For cakes and other baked recipes I usually give a round about size like a medium dish or a large dish. If you want the right texture for brownies, you need an 8×8 or 9×9 inch baking dish. I’ll tell you why each size yields different results. The 8×8 will give you a slightly higher, fudgy brownie. While I prefer this, my family prefers a cake like brownie, so I use a 9×9 baking dish. The batter is spread out a little more thinner and bakes to a more set brownie. Both are equally delicious, it’s just a matter of preference. The baking time and temperature play a huge role as well. You bake brownies at a lower temperature than you would cake.

Make these Espresso Brownies your own

There are so many small variations you can make according to your personal preference. I sometimes add caramel and walnuts to make these turtle brownies. Omit the espresso powder if you do that. If you want less of a coffee flavor add half the amount of espresso powder. To make these triple chocolate brownies, add 1/2 cup dark chocolate chunks and 1/2 cup milk chocolate chunks to the batter. I sometimes add broken pieces of Oreos and mnm’s to make these monster brownies.

Espresso Brownies

Sconce&Scone

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 8

Ingredients

  

• ½ cup butter unsalted
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 tbsp corn syrup
• ⅓ cup cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp instant espresso powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract optional
• 2 large eggs or 3 small ones
• ½ cup +1 tbsp flour sifted
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¾ cup dark chocolate chunks or chips

Instructions

 

• Preheat yor oven to 350 F. In a small sauce pan melt the butter on a low flame. Add the sugar and let it heat through with the butter for 3-4 minutes. Make sure you keep the flame low and mix occasionally. The sugar should soften into the butter and be less grainy. The color should not change. Take the butter mix off the heat. Let it cool slightly and add the corn syrup, cocoa powder, espresso powder and vanilla. Mix to combine.
• In medium bowl whisk the eggs till frothy, about 2 minutes. Add the cooled butter mixture and fold together. Add the flour, baking powder, salt and chocolate chips. Fold just until the mixture is combined. Do not overmix the brownie batter.
• Line your choice of baking dish, 8×8 or 9×9, with parchment paper, and lightly grease as well. Pour the batter and spread it out evenly. Bake for 26-30 minutes, or until the center is almost set. Cool completely before cutting into squares. Using a plastic knife helps keep the edges from breaking.

Notes

Substitutions.  I prefer a dish brownie, but if you want milder flavor add 1 tablespoon less of cocoa powder and replace the dark chocolate chips with milk chocolate or semi sweet. 

If you don’t have unsalted utter just add salted butter and omit the added salt in the recipe.

If you don’t have corn syrup you can use molasses or honey, it will give similar results, but not the same. 

You can use brown sugar in place of sugar in these brownies. The flavor will be slightly different, but still delicious. 

Variations. Add 1/2 cup chopped walnuts to the batter.

Add a drizzle of caramel to the top before baking and top with 1/2 cup walnuts to make turtle brownies.

To make the brownies slightly sweeter add 1 cup sugar instead of 3/4 cup.  

Troubleshooting. If you overtake your brownies, (it happens to the best of us!) It’s ok. They’ll still taste great. 

Sometimes you won’t get the crackly top on your brownies. It’s nothing you did wrong. It’s just a variation in ingredients or baking temperature. Ou ravens never maintain the temperature we set them at perfectly, and the crackly top is brought by the eggs. So a variation in egg size or the way you beat them could cause a basic top. They still taste great, crackly top or not! 

 

Keyword Brownies, Espresso

Have you tried these delicious gooey brownies?

I love hearing your feedback! if you tried this recipe I’d love to hear how it turned out in the comments below.

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