Sunday, May 12, 2013

Espresso Brownies for a Mother's Day #SundaySupper

I have fond memories of Saturday morning outings with my mom when I was in my teens. That was back in our Weight Watcher days, where Saturday mornings meant the dreaded weigh-in followed by toasted bagels and cream cheese for breakfast and a vanilla fudge brownie latte for a "morning dessert". Those days are gone (sigh), but Mom married into an Italian family with a taste for espresso and it's assorted drink and dessert variations. While the most traditional caffeinated sweet, tiramisu, usually offers up a "meh" response from both Mom and my stepdad (anything overly creamy is usually not much of a hit), it's hard to steer her away from chocolate - and when that chocolate is spiked with a heady dose of espresso and baked into a sinfully fudgy brownie (laced with Kahlua no less), it's a Mother's Day delight at our house!

Espresso BrowniesI wish I could take credit for the idea to thoroughly souse the pure chocolate bliss that is a brownie with caffeine, but in fact the original recipe was found in Petite Treats: Your Favorite Desserts-Bite Size!. Sadly, as is the book's recipe was on the dry side when I made it verbatim, so I took preemptive measures for my mom's batch. Honey added a moist chew, brown sugar added depth and more chocolate chips added pops of yummy texture. Just to be sure there was no dry or hard brownie bits at all, when I flipped out the bars they got a nice brushing of Kahlua and a rich chocolatey icing too. Hey, only the best for Mom - and what mom doesn't need a little "pick me up" these days?

This #SundaySupper is all about Mom - we're celebrating the amazing women that brought us into the world as well as all the other incredible women who acted in loco parentis growing up. Make sure you take a look at what all the other #SundaySupper participants are sharing for Mother's Day!

Mother's Day Brunch:

Mother's Day Entrees:


Mother's Day Sides:


Mother's Day Desserts and Drinks:

Grown Up Goodies

Don't forget to join the #SundaySupper conversation on Twitter today to celebrate Mother's Day! We’ll tweet throughout the day and share our delicious recipes. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm EST. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag, and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more delicious recipes and food photos.

What do you think of when you think of your Mom? Do you have any special memories?

Espresso Brownies
Makes 16 rich squares
3 oz bittersweet chocolate (I used couverture wafers)
¼ cup unsalted butter
¼ cup Dutch processed cocoa powder
2 eggs
½ cup sugar
¼ cup dark brown sugar
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp vanilla
2 ½ tbsp instant espresso powder
2/3 cup flour
¼ tsp baking powder
¾ tsp sea salt
¼ cup miniature chocolate chips
2 tbsp Kahlua, for brushing

Icing:
2 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp instant espresso powder
¼ cup bittersweet chocolate (I used couverture wafers)
2 tsp honey
¼ tsp salt
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 9” pan with greased parchment paper.
  2. Melt the chocolate and butter together in the microwave, then whisk in the cocoa powder.
  3. Whisk the eggs, sugars, honey and vanilla until light and thick, about 3 minutes.
  4. Whisk in the espresso powder, the melted chocolate mixture, flour, baking powder and salt, blending just to combine.
  5. Fold in the mini chocolate chips.
  6. Bake for 35 minutes, rotating the pan once halfway through.
  7. Allow to cool completely in the pan, then turn out onto a plate and brush with Kahlua.
For icing:
  1. Beat together the butter, powdered sugar and espresso powder until combined.
  2. Melt the chocolate, honey and salt together, then add to the powdered sugar mixture and beat well. 
  3. Spread immediately on cooled brownies and allow to set.
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 211.2
Total Fat: 8.8 g
Cholesterol: 34.8 mg
Sodium: 41.9 mg
Total Carbs: 32.9 g
Dietary Fiber: 1.6 g
Protein: 2.2 g

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