Wicked Black Magic Brownies {bourbon brownies}

[Little One]

Wicked Black Magic Brownies {bourbon brownies}

Ingredients
•8 ounces (227 grams) bittersweet chocolate, chopped
•½ cup (1 stick or 113 grams) unsalted butter, plus extra for baking pan
•½ cup (70 grams) all-purpose flour, such as Gold Medal®
•¼ cup (28 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted, such as Pernigotti
•2 teaspoons (3 grams) instant espresso granules
•½ teaspoon (4 grams) kosher salt
•¼ teaspoon (1.2 grams) baking powder
•¾ cup (150 grams) organic granulated cane sugar
•½ cup (106 grams) firmly packed organic Muscovado (or dark brown sugar)
•2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk (125 grams), slightly beaten & at room temperature
•1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract, such as Nielsen-Massey®
•1½ cups (110 grams) coarsely chopped or broken toasted walnuts or pecans
•¼ cup bourbon (or cognac, rum or scotch)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare 8-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil by first turning pan upside down. Center a 12-inch piece of foil shiny-side down over the pan. Carefully press down on the sides, folding corners, to shape the foil snugly around pan without tearing. Remove the foil keeping its shape. Place shaped foil into pan and press into place along bottom and sides. With a piece of plastic wrap, grease the foil along bottom and sides of pan with butter softened to room temperature or with melted butter. Set aside.

In a medium heatproof bowl set over a saucepan containing shallow water (or in a double boiler), place chocolate and butter. Stir frequently over simmering water until nearly melted. Remove pan from heat; stir until completely melted and smooth. Meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, espresso granules, salt and baking powder. Set aside. Once bowl of melted chocolate is cool enough to handle, transfer it to countertop lined with a terry cloth kitchen towel to wipe away the moisture from the steam. Stir in sugars, eggs and vanilla. Gently fold in flour mixture just until blended (do not overmix). Fold in nuts.

With a rubber spatula, scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs (versus uncooked batter), about 40 minutes. Immediately from the oven, drizzle bourbon evenly over the top of warm brownies. (Don’t worry. The top will dry as it cools.) Cool completely in pan.

Use the foil on sides of pan to lift brownies out. Peel away foil completely and discard. Chill the brownies in the freezer to make cutting them easier, about 1 hour. Cut brownies into 9 or 16 squares, depending on size of brownies or number of servings desired. Store in airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

Notes

Tips:

How to Toast Nuts: Preheat oven to 350ºF. Place nuts in a single layer on an ungreased baking sheet. (You may line the baking sheet with parchment paper.) Bake until nuts become fragrant and lightly browned, about 7 to 8 minutes. Stir halfway through baking time and watch closely to prevent nuts from burning. Cool nuts completely before chopping and adding to recipe.
To speed the cooling process for the toasted nuts, immediately transfer to plate and place in freezer for 5 to 8 minutes.