“mexican” brownies
I am a fiend for sweets. In the mornings that we have together, I’m known tell Andy, “I want a treat!” Sometimes we’ll go get doughnuts at the delicious local place on campus. Or I stop before work for cookies or ice cream. And I drink a lot of beer, which is full of sugar (if you’re drinking the worth-wile kind) and gives me my fix. I need to keep something sweet to eat around the house for times like these. Disappointed with my recent Chips Ahoy! purchase, I decided to make something deliciously worth all of the not-so-good-for-you calories these inevitably have. This is the first time that I have made brownies! I had some brownie fudge cookies that I had gotten from the grocery store bakery the other day that inspired me to try to make my own, but I decided to just go with the regular version and I’m glad I did. Cayenne pepper and cinnamon and chocolate chunks, topped with a little powdered sugar? Goooood.
“MEXICAN” BROWNIES (Slightly adapted from The Ski House Cookbook by Tina Anderson and Sarah Pinneo)
8 Tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
3/4 cup chocolate chunks
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a saucepan over low heat, melt butter, whisk in cocoa. Once combined, let cool. Blend sugar, eggs, and vanilla in separate bowl. Add in cooled cocoa mixture. Stir in flour,salt, cayenne, and cinnamon until just combined. Then stir in chocolate chunks. Pour batter into a greased and floured 8 inch x 8 inch pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes — cooked through but it should still be moist in the center (not as done as a cake would be). Cool in pan (at least a little!) before cutting. Top with a sprinkle of powdered sugar if you feel so inclined, maybe cut with a little cinnamon. Makes 16 2 inch brownies.
Oh so sinful! The cayenne makes it a total sassy pants brownie!