Magic Espresso Brownies - Food52 Recipe

Name: Magic Espresso Brownies - Food52 Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Ingredients: 300 gm brown sugar; 112 gm butter (soft); 4 large eggs; 2 tsp vanilla; Pinch of salt; 95 gm flour; 45 gm cocoa powder; 1 tbsp espresso powder; 110 gm walnuts (toasted, coarsely chopped); 170 gm dark chocolate chip; 125 gm castor sugar; 1 tbsp instant espresso powder; 2 tbsp brandy; 2 tbsp milk; 40 gm butter; 85 gm dark chocolate chips

These brownies are soft and chewy with the perfect amount of coffee and chocolate in them. They are easy to make and bake, with a few pantry ingredients they are an absolutely delicious dessert.

Welcome to a brand new series I have started where I share some of my favorite recipes from the cookbooks I own. I have quite a few cookbooks and I cook/bake from them often, however there are some recipes which I have made so many times that I know them in my sleep and have tweaked them to my liking. This brownie recipe is absolutely perfect from Food52. These brownies are as good as the frosting, like the brownies and frosting are 50-50 here. They carry each other and I wouldn’t suggest skipping the frosting.

If you are intimidated by that shiny crackle top brownie then this recipe is the one for you. Reason being, that frosting created the best shiny top as it set and gives it that “crackle” top vibe as it sets and you cut into it. These brownies are part cake and part brownie so don’t go thinking you will get fudge brownies from this recipe but what you will get is a simple, delicious and easy recipe to whip up anytime of the week. I have made a few adjustments to my personal liking and I have listed my thoughts on the recipe below however you don’t have to follow my thoughts and make the recipe as it is on Food52.

What are magic espresso brownies?

These brownies are baked with the deepest cocoa, chocolate flavor but also espresso powder in the the brownie and frosting that makes for a very complimentary coffee and chocolate flavor profile. They are chewy, soft, cakey, fluffy and yummy in every bite and thats what makes them “magical” according to Chef June.

What ingredients do you need to make these magic espresso brownies?

To make the brownies we need brown sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla, salt, all purpose flour, walnuts, cocoa powder, instant espresso powder, dark chocolate chips. To make the frosting were need castor sugar, instant espresso powder, brandy, milk, butter, dark chocolate chips.

What substitutes can you use to make these magic espresso brownies?

I have made these brownies so many times with a number of variations. So here are some of the substitute/variations you can make within the recipe from my experience:

Espresso powder –

I have made these brownies with espresso powder and instant coffee powder. The espresso power is amazing but if you don’t have that you can use the instant coffee powder instead.

Cocoa powder –

I have made this with unsweetened cocoa powder and dutch processed cocoa powder and they are both absolutely delicious but I prefer the dutch cocoa powder here for a deeper chocolate flavor, also the color is much darker than the regular cocoa powder once baked. I would suggest using your favourite cocoa powder, flavor wise.

Walnuts –

I have made this recipe using almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts and macadamia nuts. Which are all delicious but I love the flavor of walnuts and chocolate – classic brownie combination vibes. The nuts must be roasted and coarsely ground. I like leaving some of them chunky as well.

Dark chocolate chips –

Original recipe calls for semi sweet chocolate chips, I like using chocolate chips that are 70% and above but you can use any chocolate chips you like including milk chocolate chips (I have done a combination of milk and dark as well). I have also made this with chocolate chunks and its yummy.

Brandy –

The flavor is really yummy in this recipe but you can use rum or cognac of any sort. To keep it alcohol free use the same amount of milk.

Gluten free –

Use a gluten free flour mix in place of the all purpose flour to make these brownies gluten free. It must be a flour mix and not almond flour on its own.

Vegan –

The butter can be swapped for a plant based alternative. Also you can use vegan chocolate chips. For the frosting you can use almond milk as well.

What equipment do you need to make these magic espresso brownies?

To make the brownies you will need a mixing bowl, rubber spatula and whisk. I have baked the brownies in a quarter sheet pan tray. To make the frosting we need a sauce pot and whisk. I like to use the back of a butter knife to spread out he frosting and serve it up in the tray itself.

How to make these magic espresso brownies?

For the brownies – Preheat oven to 180℃. Brush a quarter sheet tray with butter/oil/baking spray. In a mixing bowl add the brown sugar and butter, beat with a rubber spatula/electric beater until well blended but not too fluffy.Add the eggs and mix well, scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Mix in the vanilla and salt. Add flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, nuts and mix until mixed through. Don’t over mix but make sure there are no dry pockets.Pour the batter into the prepared pan and add the chocolate chips.Bake for 18-20 minutes with fan. The batter will still be soft in the middle of the pan. Allow the brownies to cool thoroughly before frosting.

For the frosting – In a sauce pot add all the ingredients except for the chocolate chips over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil, then cook for 1 additional minute. Remove from heat, add the chocolate chips, and stir until smooth.

Assemble – Pour the frosting evenly over the cooled brownies. When the frosting has set, cut brownies into squares.

Serving and storing these magic espresso brownies?

The brownies must be cooled before frosting. You can serve them with milk or with whipped cream. I love warm them for like 10 seconds in the microwave and eating it with ice cream. Serve them with coffee for an extra added kick. Store the brownies in the refrigerator, separating the layers with parchment paper, for up to 5 days. I have frozen these brownies and travelled with them – they were perfect!

My personal tips while making these magic espresso brownies:

Do not over bake – I have accidentally over baked these brownies and they turned out to be extremely dry and they were definitely not the same. Keep in mind the sheet pan does have residual heat as the brownies cool so place the tray on a wire rack to cool as fast possible.
Do not refrigerate immediately after baking – I tried to speed up the cooling process by doing this and the brownies dried out again, they didn’t have that soft texture that they do once baked, so be patient and let them cool.
Cool before frosting –The frosting sets faster and better once the brownies are cooled down. I would suggest making the frosting just before pouring over the brownies as the frosting is a hot frosting/icing/glaze situation which will harden and form a crust. So make it just before pouring. Also: I have pour the frosting over the warm brownies and served it as a pudding situation.

Looking for more brownie recipes?

Now that we have covered how to make this magic espresso brownie recipe, you can have a look at the recipe video on my socials but let’s get to it.

If you try this recipe out, don’t forget to share it with me on instagram so I can see how it turned out. I’d love nothing more than to chat with you on your cooking/baking.