Shelly's Recipe

DEATH-BY-CHOCOLATE BROWNIES

Category: Brownies/Blondies

2 oz unsweetened chocolate
4 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
10 tbsp unsalted butter
1 1/2 tsp instant espresso powder or 2-3 tsp instant coffee crystals
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 tsp salt and baking powder
2 tsp vanilla extract
tiny drops almond extract
3 large egg
2/3 cup flour
3/4 cup toasted almonds

Preheat oven to 325. Adjust an oven rack to a lower-middle position. Line an 8 inch square metal baking pan with foil.

Put chocolates, butter, and instant coffee in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high, stirring every 30 seconds, until chocolate is almost melted. Remove from microwave, and stir to melt remaining bits of chocolate, or melt the over a pan of simmering water: put a heat proof bowl over a pan of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water, and stir until everything is melted. Remove from heat.

Whisk in sugar, salt, baking powder, and extracts into the chocolate mixture. Then whisk in the eggs, one at a time, mixing each one completely before adding the next one. After adding the eggs, whisk the mixture until smooth and glossy. Add flour; whisk until just incorporated. Do not over mix. Stir in the nuts.

Pour batter into the prepared pan; flatten the top with a spatula. Bake until a toothpick poked into the center comes out with wet crumbs, 55 to 65 minutes. Cool brownies in pan on a wire rack. When cool enough to handle, use the foil or parchment to pull the brownies from pan. Completely cool brownies on rack, at least 3 hours. Be patient, or the brownies will not cut into nice squares and you’ll have a mess on hands!