Quick and easy fudge mocha brownies recipe
One of the disadvantages of working at home -- and there are few, really -- becomes very obvious when you bake something as irresistible as these fudge mocha brownies. If you work outside the house, you can bring your baked goodies with you and distribute them among your colleagues, who will do a happy dance when they see these brownies coming. However, when you work at home, and the kitchen is in the center of your house, and you must walk through the kitchen to get from your office to any other room or to the front door or the back door, and the aroma of fudgy brownies cooling on the countertop grabs you each time you pass by... well, you understand the problem. As you know, I'm not much of a baker, but I've been having great success with recipes from Cooking Light Quick Baking, a magazine special published in Fall 2010. It took me longer to collect the ingredients from the pantry than to put these brownies together. The original recipe calls for a crushed toffee topping, but they're rich enough without it.
Quick and easy fudge mocha brownies
From the pantry, you'll need: baking spray, instant espresso, unsweetened cocoa powder, unsalted butter, all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, vanilla extract, eggs.
Adapted ever-so-slightly from Cooking Light Quick Baking, a magazine special. Makes 20.
Ingredients
Baking spray
2 Tbsp instant espresso
1/4 cup hot water
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1-1/3 cups sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat the bottom and sides of a 9-inch-square baking pan with baking spray, and set aside.
In a small glass measuring cup, microwave 1/4 cup of water on HIGH for 30 seconds. Stir in the instant espresso until it's dissolved, and set aside.
In another small glass measuring cup, microwave the butter and chocolate chips on HIGH for 1 minute. Stir until the chocolate is smooth, and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Whisk together until well mixed. In a medium bowl, combine the coffee, egg-chocolate mixture, vanilla extract and eggs. Whisk together until well incorporated. Pour the wet mixture into the flour, and, with a rubber spatula, stir just until combined; the mixture will be very dry and stiff, but keep working with the spatula until all of the flour is moistened. Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan, and spread it evenly to all corners of the pan.
Bake for 22 minutes. Remove the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely before serving.
More recipes in The Perfect Pantry:
White chocolate brownies
Outrageous brownies
Espresso chocolate custard cups
Chocolate spice cookies
Mexican chocolate "diablo" cupcakes
Other recipes that use these pantry ingredients:
Dark chocolate brownies, from Gluten-Free Goddess
Dulce de leche brownies, from David Lebovitz
Chocolate chip zucchini brownies, from Two Peas and Their Pod
Salted fudge brownies, from Bake or Break
Black bean coconut brownies, from $5 Dinners
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These look delectable! I like how easy they look. You're right, it's great to have an office to bring leftover sweets to so I don't eat them all!
I applaud your efforts to bake more! I try to distribute my sweets to friends, but last week - over the course of seven days - I managed to single-handedly consume an entire coffee cake. All for me - none for them.
These look so moist and chewy! I've looked several times for espresso powder but have never found it. I need to keep searching. I'd love to make these!
I have to forward this to my younger sister, she's the brownie goddess of the family. :)
Lydia, I would love to work from home, but have to admit that having my coworkers to share my baked goods is really good for my waistline. ;)
Yum! I love recipes from Cooking Light, but it always cracks me up when I note the number of servings in their dessert recipes. Twenty servings from a 9" square pan--not in my house! One bite-sized piece would not suffice. P.S. I think I am in love with T.W.!!
I'm happy to hear that you've had success with Cooking Light baking recipes. I'm a baker and have experienced very ho-hum results with two of their recipes. (Truth be told, I fervently believe in butter and whole milk.) This recipe looks so good that I'm going to give it another try. And then give them all to my husband for him to take to the office.
Love this recipe - but would have to double it in my house...1 pan for me and 1 pan for him!
I'm such a sucker for a good brownie... and these look amazing. Definitely giving these a go soon!
Nice way to make brownies. My wife loves baking, so we will definitely try this recipe. Thanks Lydia.
Jodi, I don't want to go back to working in an office just so I can bake more desserts.... but it is a risk when you work at home to have brownies like this around!
TW, I'll be it was one delicious coffee cake!
Renee, espresso powder is often in the coffee section of the supermarket, but sometimes you'll find it in the section with Italian foods. You can substitute instant coffee in this recipe.
Patricia, every family should have a brownie goddess.
Judy, honestly, these brownies are rich and dense, and I cut the pan into more than 20 pieces. Of course, I didn't eat just one....
PunkRizz, I generally believe that if I'm going to bake at all, I might as well use butter and whole milk. The recipes from this particular Cooking Light publication have worked very well with lighter milk (I only keep skim milk in the house), but they do use butter. Give this a try. If you like dark chocolatey, fudgy brownies, these will work for you.
Carol, that sounds like a plan!
Michelle, I like brownies that are more fudgy than cakey, so I love these. Hope you do, too.
Mike, please try these. I hope you like them.
Lol, I agree. I work from home, too, so anything that's irresistible is a constant reminder going from one room to another. I think I could manage to keep it to just eating, oh, 7 or 8 of those brownies. :)
Jenn, the temptation of these brownies has been awful -- in a good way!
I've had many successes with CL recipes. Somehow I missed this one though! I adore a rich brownie, so I'll have to make this one soon!