Guinness & Dark Chocolate Brownies

The moment I saw these brownies, I knew this would be our St. Patrick's Day dessert. Guinness and chocolate?! Whoa. I don't consider myself a chocoholic, but these were so rich and intense I dropped character and ate two the night I made them. Pouring my first cup of coffee the following morning, I ate another! Make a double batch; one for yourself, and one for everyone else.

I like my chocolate rich, smoky, and slightly bitter. I crave complexity, varied undertones, and hints of strong flavors like sea salt, chili powder, or ginger. These unexpected twists surprise the palate and elevate the brownie from the lunchbox to the white linen tablecloth. Using Guinness Extra Stout (which Adam compared to motor oil, as opposed to creamy draught Guinness) is perfect to underscore the blend of bittersweet, semi-sweet and milk chocolates.

Chocolate and Beer - The perfect Irish dessert!

Think less sweet, more sinful. These are not your mother's bake-sale brownies. These are the brownies of a naughty Irish girl expelled from Catholic school for drinking on campus.

Sometimes it's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.


Recipe from bitchincamero by mel

Makes one 9x13 pan
INGREDIENTS:

•  1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 5 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 8 oz dark chocolate bar (bittersweet), chopped
• 3/4 Tbsp milk chocolate chips
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• almost 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/4 cups Guinness Extra Stout, room temperature, foam skimmed off
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• few spoonfuls powdered sugar for dusting

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375' and line a 9x13 baking dish with parchment paper (preferred) or grease it with butter.
2. Whisk flour, cocoa and salt together.
3. Using a double boiler (or a medium metal bowl set over a smaller pan of simmering water - make sure the bowl doesn't touch the water), melt the dark chocolate, milk chocolate and butter. Keep the temperature low and slow.
4. In a large bowl, whisk eggs and sugar until slightly frothy. Pour in chocolate mixture slowly as to let the chocolate slowly cool (don't cook your eggs!).
5. Whisk Guinness into egg/chocolate mixture. Fold carefully, don't beat to death. You want this soft and fluffy.
6. Whisk flour mixture in slowly until thoroughly combined.
7. Pour mixture into dish and top with semi-sweet chocolate chips. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
8. Remove from oven, cool. Dust with powdered sugar (use a sifter or a fine mesh sieve to shake it over!) 
9. For the cute clover pattern, I used a real clover atop the brownies and shook the sugar over it, using tweezers I gently lifted the clover off. You can use paper cut outs as well!