So Ryan and I could get used to this. There is nothing like capping off a long Monday with good company, wine and dessert. The wind was howling last night, the wind chimes singing, and Abby, Ryan and I sat around our living room laughing, talking and enjoying a good bottle of wine with these decadent brownies.
After eating that delicious cheesecake with bourbon whipped cream last Monday, I wanted to continue with the alcohol theme. Now Ryan and I are not big drinkers. Give me a full glass of wine, and I'm tipsy by my third sip. But there is something special about using alcohol when preparing desserts; I've found that adding just a dash of liquor to different recipes intensifies the flavor and experience.
Ryan and Abby are both big fans of White Russians (which I must admit I've never tried!) so I wanted to utilize Kahlua in my recipe for this week. After scouring the blogosphere, I found a wonderful recipe for a browned butter icing with Kahlua. My first thought was to pair the icing with my classic brownie recipe, and after taking a few bites last night, I can confidently say it worked very well.
After eating that delicious cheesecake with bourbon whipped cream last Monday, I wanted to continue with the alcohol theme. Now Ryan and I are not big drinkers. Give me a full glass of wine, and I'm tipsy by my third sip. But there is something special about using alcohol when preparing desserts; I've found that adding just a dash of liquor to different recipes intensifies the flavor and experience.
Ryan and Abby are both big fans of White Russians (which I must admit I've never tried!) so I wanted to utilize Kahlua in my recipe for this week. After scouring the blogosphere, I found a wonderful recipe for a browned butter icing with Kahlua. My first thought was to pair the icing with my classic brownie recipe, and after taking a few bites last night, I can confidently say it worked very well.
For those of you who love to bake or cook or even just enjoy good food and wine, I highly suggest you forming a group that meets once a week or once a month. Creating community in our fast-paced, technology driven world can be a challenge, but as always, food brings people together. I think one of the reasons I love baking and cooking so much is because of this fundamental characteristic. Abby, Ryan and I have lived in a lot of different cities, have traveled to a lot of different places, and we enjoy many of the same things in our daily lives. It has been such a blessing to carve aside time to celebrate life together, to indulge ourselves in a little bit of sweetness and of course, to experiment with new recipes.
Abby is a poet, and she is participating in a poetry challenge for National Poetry month. She's writing a new poem each and every day for the month of April, and I have been so impressed with the work she is producing. I've included a link to her blog, and I would encourage you to take some time to read her work. She is a talented writer and a great friend.
Abby is a poet, and she is participating in a poetry challenge for National Poetry month. She's writing a new poem each and every day for the month of April, and I have been so impressed with the work she is producing. I've included a link to her blog, and I would encourage you to take some time to read her work. She is a talented writer and a great friend.
Kahlua Brownies with Browned Butter Icing
1¼ cups (5 ounces) cake flour
½ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon baking powder
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped fine
12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, cut into six 1-inch pieces
2¼ cups (15¾ ounces) sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon Kahlua
1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Line your pan with foil. Spray foil-lined pan with nonstick cooking spray
2. Whisk to combine flour, salt, and baking powder in medium bowl; set aside.
3. Melt chocolate and butter in large heatproof bowl set over saucepan of almost-simmering water, stirring occasionally, until smooth. (Alternatively, in microwave, heat butter and chocolate in large microwave-safe bowl on high for 45 seconds, then stir and heat for 30 seconds more. Stir again, and, if necessary, repeat in 15-second increments; do not let chocolate burn.) When chocolate mixture is completely smooth, remove bowl from saucepan and gradually whisk in sugar. Add eggs on at a time, whisking after each addition until thoroughly combined. Whisk in Kahlua. Add flour mixture in three additions, folding with rubber spatula until batter is completely smooth and homogeneous.
4. Transfer batter to prepared pan; using spatula, spread batter into corners of pan and smooth surface. Bake until a toothpick inserted into center of brownies comes out with few moist crumbs attached, 30 to 35 minutes. Immediately poke holes in brownies with a toothpick and pour 2 TBSP Kahlua over the top. Cool on wire rack to room temperature, about 2 hours, then remove brownies from pan by lifting foil overhang.
Browned Butter Icing with Kahlua
¼ cup butter (½ stick)
2 TBSP Kahlua
1 TBSP whipping cream or whole milk
2¼ cups powdered sugar
1. Place butter in saucepan and heat until lightly browned (be careful not to let your butter burn. It should have a rich, nutty smell). Remove from heat and add kahlua & whipping cream. Whisk in powdered sugar until you have the consistency that you desire (you should be looking for a thick, smooth icing that is still pourable). Pour on top of cooled brownies and spread to edges to cover completely. Refrigerate until set.
1¼ cups (5 ounces) cake flour
½ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon baking powder
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped fine
12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, cut into six 1-inch pieces
2¼ cups (15¾ ounces) sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon Kahlua
1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Line your pan with foil. Spray foil-lined pan with nonstick cooking spray
2. Whisk to combine flour, salt, and baking powder in medium bowl; set aside.
3. Melt chocolate and butter in large heatproof bowl set over saucepan of almost-simmering water, stirring occasionally, until smooth. (Alternatively, in microwave, heat butter and chocolate in large microwave-safe bowl on high for 45 seconds, then stir and heat for 30 seconds more. Stir again, and, if necessary, repeat in 15-second increments; do not let chocolate burn.) When chocolate mixture is completely smooth, remove bowl from saucepan and gradually whisk in sugar. Add eggs on at a time, whisking after each addition until thoroughly combined. Whisk in Kahlua. Add flour mixture in three additions, folding with rubber spatula until batter is completely smooth and homogeneous.
4. Transfer batter to prepared pan; using spatula, spread batter into corners of pan and smooth surface. Bake until a toothpick inserted into center of brownies comes out with few moist crumbs attached, 30 to 35 minutes. Immediately poke holes in brownies with a toothpick and pour 2 TBSP Kahlua over the top. Cool on wire rack to room temperature, about 2 hours, then remove brownies from pan by lifting foil overhang.
Browned Butter Icing with Kahlua
¼ cup butter (½ stick)
2 TBSP Kahlua
1 TBSP whipping cream or whole milk
2¼ cups powdered sugar
1. Place butter in saucepan and heat until lightly browned (be careful not to let your butter burn. It should have a rich, nutty smell). Remove from heat and add kahlua & whipping cream. Whisk in powdered sugar until you have the consistency that you desire (you should be looking for a thick, smooth icing that is still pourable). Pour on top of cooled brownies and spread to edges to cover completely. Refrigerate until set.
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