Chocolate Stout Brownies
Well, it looks like Valentine’s Day chocolate recipes have segued into St. Patrick’s Day chocolate recipes. Chocolate…I can’t quit you!
If you’re into more traditional recipes for the special day, I have a great traditional Irish bread posted as well as a dessert type Irish bread—both quite frantastic if I do say so myself. Or how about some lamb stew?
But…back to these brownies. Since there’s nothing green about chocolate, what qualifies these brownies as a St. Paddy’s Day recipe? A half cup of Guinness—that’s what! And, lest you think that the addition of Guinness is a token ingredient, let me tell you otherwise. I discovered that Guinness stout beer does something magical to the batter chemistry when I first made a chocolate stout cake. The texture of the cake was unlike any other I had ever put in my mouth. It easily ranks as one of the best chocolate cakes in the history of forever.
So, I had high hopes for this recipe for chocolate stout brownies—and I was not disappointed. I have to tell you that the texture is not really brownie-like, it’s not really cake-like, and it’s not really fudge-like. It’s actually some combination of all three of those textures rolled into one. Throw in the simple ganache on top, and you’ve got one impressive brownie! My hubby took one bite and just groaned.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
One year ago: Florida Orange Grove Pie
Two years ago: Favorite St. Patrick’s Day Recipes
Three years ago: Bailey’s Irish Cream Sandwich Cookies
Four years ago: McDonald’s Copycat Shamrock Shake
Five years ago: Pistachio and Chocolate Cake
Six years ago: Creamy Chocolate Pudding
Seven years ago: Chocolate Stout Cake
Chocolate Stout Brownies
Ingredients for the Brownies
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 8 tablespoons
- 2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup stout beer, such as Guinness
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Ingredients for the Glaze
- 4 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 2 tbl. unsalted butter
Directions
Preheat oven to 350o F. Line an 8×8” pan to form a sling with parchment paper or aluminum foil lightly greased with cooking spray. This will make it easier to remove the brownies from the pan so that you can cut them.
In a large saucepan, melt together the butter and unsweetened chocolate. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cocoa, sugar, and salt (mixture will be grainy—keep going). Beat in the egg and vanilla then beat in the beer. Whisk in the flour just until fully incorporated then stir in the chocolate chips.
Spread the batter into the pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (it’s OK if there are a few crumbs but you do not want wet batter). Cool completely.
Once the brownies are cool, make the glaze. Combine the chocolate and butter in a microwave-proof bowl and microwave at 50% power (so that the chocolate doesn’t seize) in one-minute increments. Microwave until the mixture is smooth. It shouldn’t take more than two or three minutes. Alternatively, in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water), melt together the semisweet chocolate and butter until smooth. Spread on top of the brownies and let harden before serving (you can chill in the refrigerator to speed up the process). Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week if they last that long!
Source: A recipe from Chocolate Moosey