I find it very fitting that my Espresso Brownies are the final recipe that I made in April – another milestone recipe! My husband doesn’t like coffee, so I knew that I would need company to help me eat these. We had a friend come to stay with us last weekend and a crowd at a barbecue to feed, so I finally had my chance to make them!
The recipe for Jamaican Coffee Brownies said I could use espresso instead of the special coffee, so that’s exactly what I did. Very finely ground espresso goes in the rich brownie batter, and brewed espresso goes in the ganache on top. I normally don’t make frosting or ganache for brownies – I believe that a good brownie doesn’t need adornment – but I did for this recipe, since the ganache would add flavor (from the brew), rather than just add sweetness and moisture as frosting generally does. As I made these, I could tell that the brownie batter would be rich and delicious on its own because of its high cocoa content. I did add the pecans because I thought that such a rich brownie might need the contrast, but I made the mistake of grinding them in my magic bullet instead of chopping them by hand, so most of the pecans disappeared into the batter.
While the brownies baked, I made the ganache. I didn’t understand why I would need to simmer the espresso, so I didn’t bother with it. I’ll tell you why it should be simmered – the hot espresso on its own is not hot enough to melt all of the chocolate chips. My bowl wasn’t microwave-safe, so I had a few partially-melted chocolate chips that ended up on the brownies. I don’t think that it hurt it any. I didn’t bother with any crystallized ginger – coffee and chocolate was enough for me.
These were really good. They definitely have a strong coffee flavor, so you have to love both coffee and dark chocolate to like these. These were very easy to make, if you have a coffee grinder and can make espresso/really strong coffee. The flavor is intense, so they’re not a brownie for the faint of heart! They were very moist and very rich. Our crew at the barbecue devoured them – they were much more popular than I had anticipated. I would definitely make these again if the right occasion arose.
Want other espresso desserts? Try Espresso Biscotti, Espresso Granita, Chocolate Espresso Tiramisu, or Espresso-Chocolate Chip Shortbread.
📖 Recipe
- 2 cups sugar
- 15 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 sticks minus 1 tablespoon )
- ¾ cup cocoa
- 3 tablespoons finely ground coffee beans
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
- ¾ cup pecan pieces (optional)
- 6 tablespoons freshly brewed coffee or espresso
- 1 cup bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips (6 ounces)
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Melt butter in a large saucepan or large microwave-safe bowl. Add sugar, cocoa, ground coffee, and salt, and stir to combine. Cool mixture briefly. Whisk in eggs and vanilla. Use a rubber spatula to stir in flour until just combined. Stir in pecans if using.
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Spread batter in a greased 9x13-inch pan. Bake at 350F for about 25 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs stuck to it. Cool.
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Simmer coffee on the stove, or heat briefly in the microwave. (Otherwise, the chocolate chips won't fully melt.) Add 1 cup chocolate chips. Let stand for a few minutes, then stir until the chocolate chips melt. Let cool for about an hour, until ganache thickens. Spread over cooled brownies. Cut and serve.
Jason says
Agreed... these were really great brownies. I think the ginger would have been lost with the strong coffee and chocolate flavors, so I think you made a good choice leaving it out.