Monday, January 25, 2010

Dark Chocolate Brownies





These are probably the best brownies I have ever had.  Ever.  They are moist, chewy, dense, and unapologetically chocolatey.  I got this recipe from Karina's blog as I was searching for something to fill the strong craving for chocolate I've been trying to fight with lately.  Fight over; point conceded.  Maybe several points conceded, considering how much of the batch I ended up eating.  These are a little like the flourless chocolate cakes I've made in the past, which use almond flour instead of regular flour, but these are unmistakably brownies in their taste and texture. 

My mom recently sent me some peppermint extract as part of a lovely care package, and so I whipped up a peppermint icing to drizzle over some of the brownies, which was also wonderful and festive (despite the summer heat we're experiencing here in Swaziland).  The simple recipe for that is below.

These would also be wonderful with any of the following variations:
-Swirl some creamy (or crunchy!) peanut butter into the batter before baking
-Swirl some marshmallow "Fluff" into the batter before baking
-Add some chocolate chips, marshmallows, or crushed nuts into the batter (or on top)

You can find the recipe on Karina's blog by clicking here.




Peppermint Icing

2 cups powdered sugar
1 - 2 tsp. peppermint extract (to your own taste)
2 - 5 tbsp. water, added to the consistency you prefer

Mix together and eliminate clumps from the icing.  Drizzle over the cooled brownies and serve!

No comments: