Extreme Brownies by Connie Weis

Author:Connie Weis
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC

spicy cinnamon baja brownies

makes 12 large squares or 24 smaller bars

I especially enjoy cooking Mexican food in the summer—probably because my garden produces great tomatoes, jalapeños, and cilantro, or more likely, as an excuse to continue my pursuit of the perfect margarita. Regardless, I needed a Mexican cuisine-influenced brownie for a dessert, as my friends fully expect to have some sort of brownie when they come for dinner. When I was creating this one, I kept increasing the cayenne pepper with each try, and it took me four attempts to get the heat just right. My apologies in advance to the entire Hispanic community; I know brownies will never appear on your dessert menu alongside your fabulous flan, churros, and dulce de leche cake. I just borrowed a few of your traditional ingredients to make (in my mind) this brownie more fiesta-like.

pine nut crunch

¾ cup (3.5 ounces) pine nuts

1 tablespoon (0.06) ounce egg white, at room temperature

2 tablespoons (1 ounce) granulated sugar

1 tablespoon (0.05 ounce) light brown sugar

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

⅛ teaspoon salt

brownie batter

Vegetable shortening for pan

3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter

4.5 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate

1½ cups (9 ounces) 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate chips

6 large eggs, at room temperature

1½ cups (10.5 ounces) granulated sugar

1½ packed cups (12 ounces) light brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1½ cups (6.8 ounces) bleached all-purpose flour

¾ teaspoon baking powder

1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

¾ and ⅛ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

1 (10-ounce) bag Hershey’s cinnamon baking chips

1 To make the pine nut crunch, adjust an oven rack to the middle level of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Place the pine nuts in a small, heavy saucepan. Toast the nuts over medium-low heat, tossing them often, until fragrant and very lightly toasted. Pour into a bowl and place in the freezer for 10 minutes to cool down the nuts. Line a half-sheet pan with a silicone baking mat. Place the tablespoon of egg white in a small mixing bowl; whisk until frothy. Add the toasted pine nuts and stir with a silicone spatula. Place the sugars, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl; whisk to combine. Sprinkle the mixture over the nuts and stir in well. Turn the nuts out onto the sheet pan and spread into a thin layer with a small offset spatula. Bake for 13 minutes, then turn the nuts over with a metal spatula and spread out again. Continue baking until the nuts are fragrant and the sugar coating is caramelized, about another 5 minutes. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack. Let the nuts cool on the pan, separating them with your fingers as they cool. Set aside.

2 To make the brownies, maintain the oven temperature at 350°F. Prepare a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Lightly grease the foil in the pan.

3 Cut the butter sticks into 1-inch slices. In a small, heavy saucepan, melt the butter pieces over the lowest setting. While the butter is melting, chop the unsweetened chocolate into ¼-inch pieces and add to the melted butter along with the bittersweet chocolate chips.

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