Chocolate Stout Brownies

It’s no mystery that one of my favorite desserts is a super chocolaty, fudgy, gooey brownie.  Cut me a piece, pour me a glass of ice cold milk and I’ll be perfectly content.

So, when I was perusing GG’s blog, Glamorous Glutton, I found numerous recipes that had my mouth watering; easy tortilla chips, rhubarb cordial, mars bars blondies, and caramelized banana bread (which I will be making once I get rid of the boatload of sweets in my kitchen at the moment)…just to name a few.  I loved reading over GG’s blog this month for our secret recipe club exchange, there were several recipes I wanted to make but all bets were off when I came across her Rebellion Beer Brownies.

The picture alone had my mouth watering.  You could see the pure fudginess of these brownies just by looking at her picture.  These weren’t just any brownie though, they were infused with a local brew made in the U.K.  I knew I had to make these.

Since I knew I wouldn’t be able to put my hands on any of the Rebellion products across the pond, I adapted the recipe slightly, using a chocolate stout which ultimately ended up amping up that chocolate flavor just a bit.  And that is not a problem in my book.

The beer is simmered and reduced to allow it to thicken slightly.  It’s added to the brownie batter and baked.  The magic doesn’t stop there, it’s then schmeared with a chocolate ganache like topping.  GG added pepper flakes to hers, which I think would be amazing, but I omitted since I have a little chocoholic in my house.

The end result was amazing.  Thick brownies, chewy, fudgy, gooey with a slight hint of the stout beer.  Pour a glass of cold milk and indulge.  Happy Monday!

Chocolate Stout Brownies

Ingredients:


1/2 Cup chocolate stout
3 Oz dark chocolate, roughly chopped
1 Stick butter
1 Cup sugar
3 Large eggs
1 Tsp vanilla
1 Cup + 1 Tbsp flour
Pinch salt

For the topping-

1 1/2 Oz dark chocolate, roughly chopped
2 1/2 Tbsp butter
Pinch salt
Pinch dried chilies, optional

Directions:


Preheat oven to 350.  Line an 9×9 pan with parchment paper and set aside.

Pour the beer in a small sauce pan and place over medium heat, allow the beer to simmer until it reduces by half, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat.

Place butter and chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and heat in 20 second intervals, stirring after each, until melted.

In a separate bowl combine eggs, vanilla and sugar and whisk to combine.  Pour in the melted chocolate, while whisking continuously until ingredients are combined.  Add the cooled (not cold) beer to the mixture and stir to incorporate.  Add the flour and salt and mix well.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and place in the preheated oven.  Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the brownies are baked through and toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Allow to cool for about10 minutes.  Remove from pan by carefully lifting the edges of the parchment paper.

Meanwhile, combine the chocolate, butter and salt in a microwave safe bowl.  Heat in 20 second intervals, stirring after each, until completely melted.  Stir vigorously until smooth.  Add chilies, if desired, stir to combine.

Once the brownies are completely cooled, spread the topping over the brownies, place in the refrigerator and chill overnight.

Remove from fridge, cut into squares and enjoy.  Store in an airtight container.

Recipe source: barely adapted from Glamorous Glutton