BU: BB Outrageous Brownies

FINALLY! An excuse to make these gorgeous Outrageous brownies (and no, just to have these delish treats laying around the house for just the two of us isn't a good enough reason to make these!!). I have been drooling on this recipe and the picture since I got the cookbook earlier this year. So Red and I sincerely thank Eva of I'm Boring for such a great recipe selection. We loved this, and so did our friends who got to taste another winning recipe of Ina!


I did not modify this recipe...for once! And I loved how it turned out the way it is. It's very chocolatey, rich, almost fudge-like, and would wow any of your chocohalic-friends. I also made the entire batch using the exact measurement pan that Ina used (because we had two dinners to go to with friends); and this recipe made 20 LARGE brownies. It can easily be cut into 40-standard size brownies. The only "complaint" that I have, if at all, is that I must have used 5 different bowls when making this. A bowl for the chocolate to melt, a bowl for the walnuts and chocolate chips, a bowl for this.... but it was a very minor complaint in comparison to the reward of having this hunk of scrumptious brownies with coffee.

Another reason to love this recipe was that it retained its moisture if you wrap it tightly with a plastic wrap!!! We enjoyed this recipe for the whole week, and we loved it even better 2-3 days later. That's something that I don't normally find in baked goods!

Here's a nod especially to Mollie, my dearest friend, who's currently living in Brazil-- and has recently discovered her hidden passion in baking and cooking. She requested a recipe with easy to find ingredients that she can make from scratch, especially sweets --I hope this one will do it for you, Mol!! Miss you!

Espresso Brownies

Red first introduced me to this yummy adult treats when we first met 2.5 yrs ago. All of his friends always requested him to whip up this treat for parties and get together. One even asked if Red could shipped them through Fed-Ex when he moved to Iowa. We made these a couple of days ago to the delight of our friends, Jill and Sarah who drove 2.5 hrs to see us.

This isn't a kid-friendly recipe since kids don't usually like the coffee flavor in the frosting, but adults love since it adds depth to the chocolate flavor.




Espresso Brownies
Courtesy of Giada de Laurentiis (Food Network)

Ingredients

• Nonstick vegetable oil cooking spray
• 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons water
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons espresso powder
• 1 (19.8-ounce) box brownie mix (recommended: Duncan Hines)
• 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature

Brownie Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Spray a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with nonstick spray.
• Whisk 1/3 cup of water, oil, eggs, and 2 tablespoons espresso powder in a large bowl to blend. Add the brownie mix.
• Stir until well blended.
• Stir in the chocolate chips.
• Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 35 minutes.
• Cool completely.

Frosting Directions

• Meanwhile, dissolve the remaining 2 teaspoons of espresso powder in the remaining 2 tablespoons of water in a medium bowl.
• Whisk in the vanilla.
• Add the powdered sugar and butter and whisk until smooth.
• Pour the glaze over the brownies. Refrigerate until the glaze is set.
• Cut into bite-size pieces.
• Arrange the brownies on a platter and serve.