Brownies

These are without a doubt my new favorite brownies, and not just because Sara at Sprouted Kitchen posted them.

I ate them all by myself.

Well, I ate all but one of them. I practically threw one at my sister when she was over just so I could say I didn’t eat them all so she could see what they was all about. It’s not every day that I’m raving about something chocolate. They are the perfect fudgy consistency, sprinkled with sea salt. If you aren’t normally a salt fan, you should still try this. It brings out so much more flavor. The chocolate is only a hint of sweet, which is how I prefer my chocolate. I used Guittard 53% extra dark chocolate chips. I toyed with getting something extra fancy when I was faced with the wall of chocolate at the store, but stopped myself. Splurging on desserts isn’t really my cup of tea.

Yet somehow I keep eating a lot of dessert lately. I might have just finished off the last bits of pistachio gelato, a few chocolate chips, and the remnants of the almond butter. Fancy. I would have had another brownie if they were still around. They were the type that I’d occasionally come by, slice of a sliver from the pan and go about my merry way. The joys of a batch all to myself.

Someday I’ll actually buy cocoa nibs and use them.

Inspiration: Sprouted Kitchen

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 8oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped if it isn’t chips already
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1/4 cup rolled oats processed into flour
• pinch of salt
• 2 teaspoons espresso powder
• course sea salt for topping

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350° and line a 8″ square pan with aluminum foil [or parchment] so it hangs over the edges so you can remove them later. Lightly grease the foil.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan on low heat. Add the chocolate and stir often until its melted and incorporated. Remove from the heat and add in the sugar and vanilla, stirring until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time until they’re mixed in completely. Add in the flour, pinch of salt, and espresso powder, mixing it together for a solid minute. It will become smooth and start pulling away from the sides.

Pour the batter into the pan, sprinkle with course sea salt. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the batter is mostly set, and the center doesn’t jiggle when you tap the pan. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool completely before cutting. I placed mine in the fridge for several hours before cutting and eating.