dark chocolate brownies

I cannot believe that I haven't posted a chocolate recipe yet. What in the world. I love chocolate. I wanted my first chocolate post to be totally epic. So I decided to come up with my own recipe for dark chocolate brownies.

And to make it even better, I whipped up a little batch of cinnamon cream cheese frosting to put on top. Heaven.

 Yes I wrote the recipe down at work on an envelope. That's totally normal, right? I just used a basic made-from-scratch brownie recipe, and added a bunch of unsweetened chocolate. I also added brown sugar to give it a warmer sweetness, which pairs perfectly with the creamy cinnamon topping.

I just used regular Baker's unsweetened chocolate. 

To temper the chocolate, just put it in a microwave safe bowl and microwave it for 30 seconds at a time. Every 30 seconds, take it out and stir well. Keep doing this until it melts, about 3 - 4 times. You can also use the double boiler method, but I think this way is much easier. 

Barefoot Contessa tempers her chocolate in the microwave. Enough said.

Melt the butter in with the chocolate and you have the above. A rich sauce. You will want to drink it. But then it would only be milk chocolate brownies.

And it would taste like crap because it's unsweetened chocolate. You probably wouldn't even be able to swallow it.

So you mix the dry ingredients in a small bowl. Beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla in a larger bowl. Slowly add the dry ingredients in 3 -4 batches, and mix well. Be careful not to overmix. Once combined, pour the heavenly chocolate sauce into the batter.


Oh my goodness.

I can't even deal with this picture. I just want to stick my head under that lava of chocolate. You feel me?

Do your best not to eat all the brownie batter, but please at least try it. It's the best batter ever. Then put that baby in the oven and whip up the frosting.

I used a stick of butter and an 8 oz block of cream cheese. Whip it in a mixer for awhile, until its light and fluffy. Then slowly add in confectioner's sugar until combined, about 1 1/2 cups. This is the base for any cream cheese frosting. You could add orange zest to make a yummy citrus frosting. You could add walnuts and maple extract for a delicious topping for cinnamon rolls.

I added cinnamon and vanilla extract. I love cinnamon.

Fudgy, dark chocolate brownies. YUM. Ready to make it even better?

I smothered the top of this sucker in creamy cinnamon frosting. Imagine a cheesecake brownie. But better.

Enjoy!

Here's the recipe:

Dark Chocolate Brownies

1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter
7 ounces unsweetened chocolate
4 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla

Mix flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, sugar and vanilla until well combined.

To temper chocolate, put in a microwavable bowl. Heat for 30 seconds in a microwave, stirring between each turn. This will take about 3 - 4 times to melt the chocolate. After the chocolate starts to melt slightly, but is still formed, put the butter in the bowl with it. Melt together and stir. Be careful not to burn the chocolate. Even if you have some small lumps, they will melt as you stir. Set aside.

Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, in small batches, stirring to combine but not over mixing. Then add the chocolate and butter mixture. Combine.

Pour into a greased 13 x 9 baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 or 25 minutes. You want the brownies to be fudgy, even if it seems like they are not quite done. Let stand for 10 - 15 minutes before serving.