Cooking with Kaylie: Espresso Vodka Brownies with Ganache

If there is one thing I have learned over the last few weeks, it is that coffee and chocolate were meant for each other. I should have known. After all, who doesn't love a good mocha? And chocolate covered coffee beans? Delicious! So, when Brandi came to me with a recipe idea that would add a twist to this classic combo, I couldn't resist! Ingredients Brownies

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
• 2 shots of espresso vodka
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese, softened
• 3 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Ganache

• 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
• 6 tablespoons whipping cream
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 shot of espresso vodka

Directions

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees
• Place the 3 ounces of chocolate in a large mixing bowl
• In a smaller mixing bowl, melt butter in the microwave
• Pour butter over chocolate and let sit 30 seconds before stirring until all chocolate is melted
• Sift in sugar and cocoa, mixing until incorporated
• Using a wooden spoon, mix in mascarpone, eggs, vanilla and espresso vodka until smooth
• Mix in flour and salt
• Pour batter into a greased pan (use an 8x8 pan for thicker brownies or an 11x7 pan for thinner brownies)
• Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean (*Note: If you use a larger pan for thinner brownies, it may only take around 30 minutes for them to finish baking, so keep a close eye on them!)
• Place pan on wire cooling rack

While the brownies are cooling, we'll make our ganache!

• Place chocolate in a mixing bowl
• In a small saucepan, bring cream and butter to just below boiling over medium heat
• Pour over the chocolate and add the espresso vodka
• Let sit 30 seconds, then stir until smooth
• Pour the ganache over brownies, using a spatula to evenly distribute
• Let sit, uncovered, until completely cooled or place in refrigerator to speed up the process
• Once ganache is firm, cut brownies and store as you normally would

A couple of things about this recipe: 1. Mascarpone can be hard to find and kind of expensive. You can always use this mascarpone substitute recipe, which is what I did. Halve the recipe and you'll get just enough for the 1/2 cup! 2. You can buy espresso vodka, but who would want to do that when you can make it? If you can hold out a couple of days, check in on Thursday to get Brandi's espresso vodka recipe. Trust me, it's totally worth it! With all of that out of the way, I can finally tell you that these are very good. A little dense, definitely rich and well worth the extra effort this recipe requires!