Triple Threat Brownies

Well, if 1 or 2 types of chocolate are not good enough for your brownie fix the this is the recipe for you.If you have been looking for a brownie recipe that has a texture nicely balanced between cakey and fudgy, is sweet but not cloyingly so and is great with or without nuts then look no further.

This is a recipe I have tweaked and played with over time to make the perfect brownie as the base for a hot fudge brownie sundae! Some of my other recipes, while great on their own, were too sweet when paired with ice cream and hot fudge. Some became too soggy when topped with the hot fudge and others were just too one-dimensional in regards to flavor.

When I indulge, I want to indulge. I want to taste and savor every last bite of that so-sinful-treat!So, I was on the hunt. I wanted a brownie that was a bit more complex flavor wise and could stand up to a scoop of ice cream without being too cake-like or dense.These brownies, in my opinion (well, isn’t everything on this blog my opinion? Kind of the point of a blog huh?) are exactly what a brownie should be. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE a gooey sweet brownie like the next gal but sometimes I want and need something a bit more ‘grown up’. These fit the bill. This recipe’s complex flavor profile comes from the mixture of cocoa powder, semi-sweet chocolate, bitter-sweet chocolate and a dash of espresso powder.

For those not familiar with espresso powder, you should be. It is super cheap, a little goes a long way and it will bring out and intensify the chocolate flavor in many recipes (if Ina uses it, you should too).  You can not detect a coffee flavor in the final product (unless you are way too heavy handed with the espresso). What you will end up with is a deeper more complex chocolate flavor that you can’t get with chocolate alone (at least in my opinion) While these are wonderful wonderful brownies, I would not say this is my favorite brownie to just snack on (look here) but this is my favorite brownie to use for Hot Fudge Brownie Sundaes.

On their own they are good, sure. BUT something magical happens to them when topped with a big ol scoop of vanilla ice cream and then drizzled with hot fudge and (if you’re me) topped with walnuts.I like to warm the brownie for 7 seconds, top with ice cream, a drizzle of homemade hot fudge and then some nuts. As the ice cream melts it gets into the nooks and crannies of these brownies but they hold their own, the texture, the flavor, the goodness that a brownie should be.   So, if you are looking for a good brownie recipe to indulge in, use this recipe and upgrade  your dessert. No one will care it is store bought ice cream or hot fudge when eating this treat!

I rate this recipe an 8 (brownie alone)
I rate this recipe a 9 (with ice cream and hot fudge, and walnuts)
Triple Threat Brownies

3 oz. semi sweet  chocolate chopped
2 oz. bittersweet chocolate chopped (or you could use 5 oz total of all semisweet or bittersweet)
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate chopped
1 stick butter, cut into pieces
1/4 cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon espresso powder
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup flour

Preheat oven to 350
Spray an 8×8 pan with Pam or line with foil and spray with Pam

In a microwave safe bowl melt the chopped chocolate and butter on medium power until melted, stirring every 30 seconds. Do not over heat. Stir in cocoa powder and espresso powder until combined.
In a small bowl wisk together the eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt. Slowly wisk into the warm chocolate mixture and stir to incorporate.

Gently stir in flour until just combined. Spread mixture into prepared pan.

Bake for 30-40 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few crumbs. Do not overbake. Allow to cool before cutting (or not).

To serve, cut a large brownie, microwave for 20 seconds, top with icecream and hot fudge. Induldge.