How to Make Espresso Brownies

Chocoholics and coffee lovers alike will drool over this espresso-flavored rendition of Nick Malgieri's West Tenth Street Brownies. Thick and rich, these brownies will not only satisfy your sweet tooth, but your caffeine craving, as well. I'd like to thank my middle school home economics teacher, Mrs. Oseran, for sharing this delightful spin on a classic recipe with me.

Step 1: Gather Your Ingredients & Equipment

Ingredients

8 tablespoons Unsalted Butter
4 ounces Unsweetened Chocolate
4 Large Eggs
2 tablespoons Instant Espresso Powder (instant coffee powder can be substituted in a pinch)
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 cups Sugar
1 cup All-Purpose Flour

Equipment

9x13x2" Glass Pan
Aluminum Foil
Convection Oven (not pictured)
Medium Bowl
Medium Saucepan
Mixer (optional)
Non-Stick Cooking Spray (can be substituted with butter)
Rubber Spatula
Stovetop
Toothpicks
Whisk

Step 2: Preheat Oven to 350ºF

Set a rack in the middle-most slot in your oven, and preheat the oven to 350ºF.

Step 3: Prep Your Pan

Using a non-stick cooking spray, lightly coat the inside of an aluminum foil-lined 9x13x2" glass baking pan. Set aside.

Step 4: Melt Butter

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once the butter has melted completely, turn the burner off.

Step 5: Melt Chocolate

Add the unsweetened chocolate to the butter in the medium saucepan, and let it sit for 2 minutes. Stir the chocolate and butter using the rubber spatula. If any of the chocolate has not yet melted, turn on the heat to a low setting and stir the mixture constantly. Remove the saucepan from the heat once the chocolate has completely melted.

Step 6: Whisk Eggs, Espresso Powder, Salt & Vanilla

Being careful not to over-mix the ingredients, whisk together the eggs, instant espresso powder, salt, and vanilla in the medium bowl. I chose to use a KitchenAid stand mixer instead of using a traditional whisk by hand. If you choose to use an electric mixer of any sort, be sure use a low speed setting when mixing the ingredients together.

Side note: As instant espresso powder isn't sold in many stores, instant coffee powder may be used as a substitute. If you opt to use instant coffee powder, taste-test the batter before baking, adding instant coffee powder as desired.

Step 7: Introduce Sugar in a Stream

Being sure to add it in a slow stream, whisk the sugar into the eggs, espresso powder, salt and vanilla mixture. Be aware that adding too much sugar at one time may cause the batter to become grainy.

Step 8: Slowly Introduce Butter & Chocolate Mixture

Like with the sugar, be very careful to introduce the melted chocolate mixture to the mixing bowl very slowly. Adding the melted chocolate mixture too quickly may scramble the eggs, causing the batter to turn lumpy.

Step 9: Fold in Flour

Using a rubber spatula, fold the flour into the mixture by hand. Be careful to not over-mix the batter, as this may cause your brownies to be more dense and less fluffy.

Step 10: Bake 30-35 Minutes

Pour the finished batter into the pan that was prepared in Step 3, and then place in the preheated oven to bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until done. I personally recommend checking the brownies at 30 minutes by inserting a toothpick into the center of the pan. If the toothpick comes out clean, the brownies are done. If the toothpick comes out with batter on it, bake the brownies for another 3 to 5 minutes, then test again using another toothpick.

Step 11: Let Cool & Serve

After baking, let the brownies stand to cool. Be careful to not set the pan directly on the countertop, as it will be hot and could scorch the countertop and/or other surrounding objects. The original recipe says to wait at least 4 hours before serving, however I find the aroma too enticing to wait more than 2 hours before cutting and serving these delectable treats.