Aztec Gold Brownies

Total Time: 50 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 9
• 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, grated (62% scharffen berger chocolate recommended)
• 1/2 cup salted butter, at room temperature, cut into cubes
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon espresso powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground dried chipotle peppers
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 325°f
• 2 line 8-inch glass baking pan with foil, grease and flour.
• 3 in a glass bowl, melt butter and chocolate in 10 seconds increments. if chocolate is well-grated, this should take about 40 seconds-stir after 30 seconds.
• 4 place sugar, cinnamon, espresso powder, and chipotle pepper in a mixing bowl and stir well.
• 5 put flour and cocoa in another bowl and mix well.
• 6 scrape chocolate into sugar mixture and beat on medium speed about 30 seconds.
• 7 scrape sides and bottom of bowl and beat another 20 seconds or so.
• 8 add eggs, beat to incorporate, scraping as needed.
• 9 add vanilla and stir to incorporate.
• 10 add half of flour mixture, and stir on low speed until mostly mixed it.
• 11 scrape bowl and add rest of flour, mixing until incorporated.
• 12 scrape bowl. beat on medium high speed for about 45 seconds, or until mixture lightens visibly. this is to incorporate air, which is the only leavening in the batter.
• 13 scrape into prepared pan and bake at 325°f for 30-35 minutes.
• 14 allow to cool in pan for 15 minutes.
• 15 lift out foil and lay on a wire rack and allow to cool completely before cutting.
• 16 if you cut them too soon, they will be gooey in the middle and crackle too much on the top and fall apart.
• 17 they should be fudgy in the middle with a bit of a crispy crust on top.
• 18 take them over the top by sprinkling with edible gold leaf.