Finally.
I promised AGES ago to write up two recipes. Well, here's one.
Chili Brownies.
Personally, I love the contrast of hot peppers and cool mint frosting. Feel free to not frost, frost with plain royal icing, frost with cream cheese frosting, or cinnamon-chocolate frosting or coffee frosting as you see fit. Don't touch your eyes after eating. (Some frosting recipes presented below.)
3-6 small red chili peppers, washed well and split lengthwise, seeds removed if you're weak or serving young kids.
1 stick butter (unsalted)
3/4 cup sugar
4 oz semisweet chocolate well chopped.
2 eggs
scant tsp vanilla
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp salt
Preheat oven to 350F, line a 8x8 square pan with foil and grease the pan with more butter or with cooking spray.
Melt the butter in the microwave (1 minute) with the chili peppers and let it sit for 10 minutes or longer until cool. Strain out the peppers, and all the seeds, discard the seeds and very finely mince the peppers and return to the butter (no one wants to bite a seed). WASH YOUR HANDS HERE. Add the chocolate and nuke for a scant 15 seconds. Stir well to melt the chocolate completely until the mixture is smooth. Make sure it's room temperature before continuing. Beat in the sugar, vanilla and then the eggs one at a time. In a separate bowl, mix flour and salt, and add to the chocolate mixture, stirring together with a few quick strokes.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until barely set in the middle. (Test an inch from the side, if it's done there, take it out.) Cool completely on a rack before frosting.
Cool mint icing:
8 oz cream cheese or mascapone
2-3 cups confectioners sugar
1 tbsp milk
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
1/4 cup crushed candy canes
tiny pinch salt
Whip together the cheese and the milk and blend just enough sugar that it's the consistency you want (add milk if it's too stiff). Whip until fluffy, add the peppermint extract, salt and stir in the candy. Frost brownies as is or carefully cut brownies in half across and frost the center so you have brownie sandwiches.
Chocolate fudge as frosting (not for dieters)
18 oz semisweet chocolate
1/3 cup unsalted butter (that's most of a stick)
14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk
tsp vanilla
(+ 1/2 tsp peppermint, tsp ground cinnamon or tsp instant espresso optional)
In a saucepan over low heat, heat the chocolate, condensed milk and butter (I'd put the butter on the bottom to prevent sticking). Heat gently and stir until everything is melted and smooth, don't let it boil. Remove from the heat, add vanilla and other flavorings, beat vigorously until it's a spreadable consistency.
Spread about 1/3 of it on the cool brownies, pour the rest onto parchment paper, chill and break it into fudge for regular snacking.
Chili Brownies.
Personally, I love the contrast of hot peppers and cool mint frosting. Feel free to not frost, frost with plain royal icing, frost with cream cheese frosting, or cinnamon-chocolate frosting or coffee frosting as you see fit. Don't touch your eyes after eating. (Some frosting recipes presented below.)
3-6 small red chili peppers, washed well and split lengthwise, seeds removed if you're weak or serving young kids.
1 stick butter (unsalted)
3/4 cup sugar
4 oz semisweet chocolate well chopped.
2 eggs
scant tsp vanilla
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp salt
Preheat oven to 350F, line a 8x8 square pan with foil and grease the pan with more butter or with cooking spray.
Melt the butter in the microwave (1 minute) with the chili peppers and let it sit for 10 minutes or longer until cool. Strain out the peppers, and all the seeds, discard the seeds and very finely mince the peppers and return to the butter (no one wants to bite a seed). WASH YOUR HANDS HERE. Add the chocolate and nuke for a scant 15 seconds. Stir well to melt the chocolate completely until the mixture is smooth. Make sure it's room temperature before continuing. Beat in the sugar, vanilla and then the eggs one at a time. In a separate bowl, mix flour and salt, and add to the chocolate mixture, stirring together with a few quick strokes.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until barely set in the middle. (Test an inch from the side, if it's done there, take it out.) Cool completely on a rack before frosting.
Cool mint icing:
8 oz cream cheese or mascapone
2-3 cups confectioners sugar
1 tbsp milk
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
1/4 cup crushed candy canes
tiny pinch salt
Whip together the cheese and the milk and blend just enough sugar that it's the consistency you want (add milk if it's too stiff). Whip until fluffy, add the peppermint extract, salt and stir in the candy. Frost brownies as is or carefully cut brownies in half across and frost the center so you have brownie sandwiches.
Chocolate fudge as frosting (not for dieters)
18 oz semisweet chocolate
1/3 cup unsalted butter (that's most of a stick)
14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk
tsp vanilla
(+ 1/2 tsp peppermint, tsp ground cinnamon or tsp instant espresso optional)
In a saucepan over low heat, heat the chocolate, condensed milk and butter (I'd put the butter on the bottom to prevent sticking). Heat gently and stir until everything is melted and smooth, don't let it boil. Remove from the heat, add vanilla and other flavorings, beat vigorously until it's a spreadable consistency.
Spread about 1/3 of it on the cool brownies, pour the rest onto parchment paper, chill and break it into fudge for regular snacking.