Yesterday I mentioned that I might make Mexican brownies for a teacher event. I did, and here they are! They're Chipotle Brownies.
I dropped the brownies off this morning and couldn't stick around for reviews, but I left some samples with the ladies in the office and will wait and see if they have any feedback. Todd thought the brownies were great (but he loves chipotle in just about anything) and I thought they were very good, though a real change from regular brownies.
To get the Mexican flavor, I used McCormick chipotle powder, Spice Islands nutmeg and King Arthur Vietnamese cinnamon.You really can taste the chipotle and feel the heat in these, so if you want a more subtle flavor, you might try cayenne pepper instead. Or maybe a combination of ancho and cayenne.
Recipe
Mexican Chipotle Brownies
Ingredients
- ½ cup 2.25 ounces all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon chipotle powder see note
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- 1 stick 4 ounces unsalted butter
- ⅜ teaspoon salt omit if using salted butter
- 2 ounces squares unsweetened chocolate chopped
- 2 tablespoons brewed coffee or water
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup extra dark chocolate morsels
- 2 tablespoons chopped pecans
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon sugar see note
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F. Line an 8 inch square metal pan with nonstick foil.
- Mix together the flour, cinnamon, chipotle powder and nutmeg. Set aside.
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan or in a microwave-safe bowl. Add the salt, chocolate and coffee Reduce heat to low, and stir until melted. Remove from heat and allow it to cool slightly.
- In a mixing bowl, beat eggs on high speed of an electric mixer. Gradually add sugar and vanilla, beating 3 minutes or until thick and pale. Add chocolate mixture, beating until blended. Gradually add flour, beating at low speed just until blended. Stir in chocolate morsels. Pour into the pan and sprinkle pecans over the top.
- Bake on center rack at at 375° for 30 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle hot brownies with cinnamon sugar. Set the brownie pan in a in a roasting pan filled half way with ice water (it should come about ⅔ of the way up the sides of the brownie pan, let sit for 15 minutes to quick-cool, then transfer to refrigerator and chill for another hour or two or until very cold. Lift foil with brownies out of pan. Cut brownies into squares.
Notes
Also, as noted in the recipe I quick-cooled the brownies in an ice water bath. They came out of the oven looking like they might be a little overdone, and so I used the bath, which is supposed to curtail any internal baking that might be happening as the hot brownies cool. I'm not sure if it really did anything or not, but the brownies had a nice crust and a perfectly cooked center, despite the fact I thought I overbaked them. So I recommend the water bath cooling method, but you can skip it if you want.
Liz Pena says
Made these for a meeting the other day. They were a hit. Left out the pecans because I didn't have any; put in a chopped up dark chocolate bar instead of the morsels-- that's all I had; accidentally added an extra egg-- came out extra gooey, but that's okay. Added chipotle powder to the cinnamon sugar for an extra bite. Thanks for the recipe!
Adam says
I love a good mole poblano sauce, and though the brownies don't have a billion spices, I'm sure it scratches that same itch :). I wonder if it would be frowned on to serve these brownies with a chicken thigh on top :).
Shelley says
I love spicy chocolate recipes! These brownies look terrific- hope the teachers enjoyed them.
Carol says
I am a little afraid to make spicy brownies. There are just certain things I will not mix. Hey, I made you recipe for chocolate butter cake yesterday for a coworkers birthday. It was so good! It was velvety-wow!
Anna says
Thanks Darlene! That's the nicest thing I've heard all day.
Darlene says
I always learn something new when I read your blog/commentary, even if I don't plan on making that particular recipe. I'll definitely try the cinnamon and sugar mixture on the next brownies I make, and also the ice bath. Thanks a million for all the tips, Anna.
AikoVenus says
Great combination of flavors - especially that Vietnamese cinnamon! ^^ I always like to dust a little cinnamon and chile powder over my fudgey, agave brownies, so this sounds extra yum!
Anna says
The King Arthur cinnamon is very good. So is Penzey's.
CindyD says
I was wondering if you used regular or special cinnamon in yesterday's cookies! Getting and trying different cinnamons is on my summer "to do" list.
Chewthefat says
I just printed out a bunch of 'spicy' brownie recipes for a friend who loves Mexican food and brownies. Now I have another one!
Sue says
Can't wait to try these. A friend recently made these "Mexican Chocolate Brownies" from Epicurious. http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Mexican-Chocolate-Brownies-13643?mbid=ipapp
I couldn't decide if I liked them or not. It will be fun to make yours and compare