Guinness Brownies with Salted Espresso Frosting
Here are some special brownies to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day—or any other day of the year for that matter. I am not being hyperbolic when I say that these brownies rank as one of the best I have ever put in my mouth!
Forgive me if I wax poetic about these Guinness brownies, but they are deserving of every word. If you’ve ever made a chocolate stout cake, you know that the stout (in this case, I used Guinness) adds a complexity to both the flavor and texture of the cake. You really don’t taste the beer, but it gives the cake or—in this case, the brownies—a je ne sais quoi that you really can’t put your finger on the first time you try one of these baked goodies.
I’ve baked with Guinness stout before, but this is the first time that a recipe called for reducing the stout to concentrate the flavor. Now, I am not a beer drinker—in fact, I don’t like the flavor of beer at all. It seems, however, that if you add chocolate, sugar, flour, eggs, and vanilla to beer, I become a huge fan, lol. So, if you don’t care for the taste of beer/stout, no worries!
These brownies are fudgy, dense, soft, and moist all at the same time. Did I mention they are rich? And the frosting! Oh my, the frosting! Imagine an espresso frosting that is both sweet and salty with the same je ne sais quoi going on with the undercurrent flavor of the Guinness. Let me just say that when you sink your teeth into one of these babies you should be sitting down. If you’re standing up, your knees may buckle.
I have another recipe for stout brownies here on my blog, and they are truly fabulous. Having said all that, these Guinness brownies with salted espresso frosting may just have the edge on them. They are simply frantastic!
Guinness Brownies with Salted Espresso Frosting
Description
Ingredients for Brownies
- One 11.2-oz. bottle Guinness Extra Stout, reduced and divided
- 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
- Two 4-oz. bars semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. espresso powder, optional—but I wouldn’t leave it out!
Ingredients for Guinness Frosting
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 2 to 3 tbl. reduced Guinness (from step 1)
- 1 tsp. espresso powder
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla
- 1/4 tsp. salt
Directions
In a small saucepan, bring the Guinness to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce to medium heat and allow to simmer until reduced down to 2/3 cup, about 15 to 20 minutes. Check frequently. I actually poured mine into a measuring cup at 10 minutes, but it wasn’t quite there, so back into the pan it went to simmer some more. Set aside to cool for at least 10 minutes. You will use 1/2 cup in the brownies and the rest in the frosting.
Preheat the oven to 350° F and grease a 9×9-inch pan or line with aluminum foil or parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides to lift the finished brownies out. Set aside.
Place the butter and chopped chocolate in a large microwave-safe bowl. Melt in 30-second increments, whisking after each, until completely smooth. Whisk in the sugar and 1/2 cup of reduced Guinness until completely combined. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract. Finally, whisk in the flour, salt, and espresso powder (if using). The batter will be thick and shiny. Pour/spread evenly into prepared pan.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. I recommend testing the brownies with a toothpick at 30 minutes. Insert it into the center of the pan. If it comes out with wet batter, the brownies are not done. If there are only a few moist crumbs, the brownies are done. Keep checking every 2 minutes until you have moist crumbs. My brownies were done to perfection at 32 minutes.
Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely before frosting or cutting into squares.
Make the frosting: In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the butter on high speed until completely smooth and creamy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the confectioners’ sugar, beating on low at first then increasing to high speed. Once creamy and combined, beat in 5 to 6 teaspoons of reduced Guinness, the espresso powder, vanilla extract, and salt. As with all frostings, if you want the texture to be thicker, add more confectioners’ sugar. If you want the texture to be thinner, add a little milk or a little more reduced Guinness.
Frost cooled brownies.
Cover and store leftover brownies at room temperature for up to 1 week. Believe me, they won’t last that long!
Notes
Make Ahead Instructions: Freeze frosted or unfrosted brownies up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then bring to room temperature before serving.
Chocolate: You can find 4-ounce chocolate baking bars in the baking aisle. I prefer using Ghirardelli or Baker’s brand. You can use 8 ounces (heaping 1 and 1/3 cups) of quality chocolate chips instead, such as Ghirardelli brand.
Source: A recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction
You can find more St. Patrick’s Day recipes here.