Fudge Brownies

When in doubt, bake brownies.  This is what my facebook status said the other day.  Anybody who was doing their detective work on my page would find that just seconds before I posted my brownie update, I had made an unfortunate comment about the lack of progress I was making in midterm preparations.  Hence, the brownies.  Thank goodness they were still around after the midterm.  Sigh.  When is school going to end?  I miss feeling like a smart person.

Anyway, I entered the kitchen with one thought and one thought only:  comfort food.  I knew I had planned to make brownies the next time I was interested in chocolately, cakey goodness.  And, I knew just the recipe I wanted to try.  The brownie recipe came from a Cooking Light recipe several years ago.  Normally, I'm hesitant to try the C.L. dessert recipes.  Sometimes the recipes can be just the same as other recipes, except they cut the portions into itty bitty bites to cut the nutritional values!  Sneaky, sneaky.  Other times, the recipes come out pretty dry.  And, I wanted a true, fudge cake brownie, not something infused with applesauce and bland tasting.

BUT, this recipe DID NOT taste like a "light" version of a brownie.  It was delicious!  I only used 75% of the sugar the recipe called for and I used espresso instead of instant coffee granules.  WOAH.  I took one bite and was seriously, seriously happy with how these turned out.

Fudge Brownies
adapted from Cooking Light
Yield:  One 9x9 pan of brownies
Ingredients

• cooking spray
• 2 Tbsp espresso granules (or instant coffee)
• 1/4 cup hot water
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 cups AP flour (about 6 3/4 ounces)
• 3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips (or toffee chips)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  (As per usual, mine preheated to about 400, then decreased to about 375.  For the majority of the time, it baked at 375 and was left in for about 20 minutes.)
2. Coat bottom of 9-inch square baking pan with cooking spray.
3. Combine granules and 1/4 cup hot water, stirring until the granules dissolve.
4. Combine butter and chocolate chips in a small microwave-safe bowl.  Microwave on HIGH for 1 minute or until butter melts; stir until chocolate is smooth.
5. Mix flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk.
6. Combine coffee mixture, butter mixture, vanilla, and eggs in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk.
7. Add coffee mixture to flour mixture; stir until just combined.  (Batter will be thick.)
8. Spread evenly onto a prepared pan and sprinkle evenly with chips.
9. Bake at 350 for 22 minutes and cool on wire rack.