Mocha Oreo Cookie Brownies

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Here's a twist on the basic brownie. Bake them in mini muffin pans so they are round bite sized portions. Since everyone's  favorite part of the brownie is the crunchy edge, baking them this way gives every brownie an edge. These can be made dairy-free using dairy-free margarine, cookies, and chocolate. 

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, broken up
  • 1 ½ cups sugar
  • ¾ cup (12-tbsp) butter or margarine
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup Hershey’s cocoa
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp fine sea salt
  • 4 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 2 tsp instant coffee granules or espresso powder
  • 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
  • 15 Oreo cookies, or dairy free chocolate sandwich cookies, broken into chunks.
  • 4-5 extra Oreo or dairy free chocolate sandwich cookies, broken in half, for garnish.

Directions:

1.     Arrange a rack in the middle of your oven and preheat to 350F. Spray a mini-cupcake tray with nonstick cooking spray. Place the tablespoon of flour into the pan. Shake it all around and tap it over a sink or garbage can to discard excess.

2.     In a heatproof medium bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, heat the chocolate, sugar, and butter or margarine. Whisk until melted and smooth. Remove bowl from heat and set aside to cool to room temperature, about 15-20 minutes.

3.     In a small bowl, mix the flour, sifted cocoa, baking powder, and salt.

4.     In a medium bowl, with a mixer at medium speed, beat the eggs, coffee, granules, and vanilla until foamy. If your stand mixer has a whisk attachment, it will work well here.

5.     Blend the cooled chocolate mixture into the egg mixture.

6.     Sprinkle all the flour/cocoa mix into the chocolate mixture. Add the Oreo mixture into the chocolate mixture, stirring gently to combine; try not to crush the cookies. Pour batter into prepared pan, or for something a little different, use a mini muffin pan. Place the extra broken cookies on top of the batter for garnish.

7.     Bake 35 minutes; do not over bake. Allow to cool. Refrigerate, tightly wrapped, until cold. Store, tightly wrapped, in refrigerator. Serve chilled.

Adapted from Kosher By Design Entertains.

Glazed Mocha-Walnut Brownies

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In honor of Valentine’s Day, I am featuring a brownie that marries two of most people’s loves,  “chocolate” and “coffee.” I am not a fan of plain coffee unless it is diluted  with milk or chocolate. I do, however, love anything “mocha,” and thus was compelled to bake these brownies. The recipe is a bit fussy with the use of a double boiler, but trust me, the result is worth it; the aroma alone, makes it all worthwhile! They are incredibly delicious and they disappeared before I could cut them into bite sized pieces. Yale took the entire pan back to his house at USC for his roommates to enjoy. I love that!

 

THE BROWNIE

Ingredients

  • 6 Tbsp unsalted butter

  • 4 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped

  • 2 tsp instant coffee powder

  • ½ cup all purpose flour

  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon

  • ¼ Tbsp kosher salt

  • 2 large eggs

  • 1 ½ cups firmly packed light brown sugar

  • 1 cup walnut pieces, lightly roasted

  • 3 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter a 9 inch square pan. Butter the paper and dust with flour, shaking out the excess.

In a saucepan, melt 6 tbsp of the butter, the 4oz unsweetened chocolate, and 2 tsp of the coffee powder over low heat, stirring until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.

Sift the flour, ½ tsp of the cinnamon, and the salt into a bowl. In another bowl, whisk the eggs with the brown sugar, then whisk the chocolate mixture. Stir in the dry ingredients just until blended. Fold in the walnuts. Spread the batter in the prepared pan.

Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 40 minutes. Let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.

 

THE GLAZE

Ingredients

  • 3 oz semi sweet chocolate

  • 6 Tbsp butter

  • 1 tsp coffee powder

  • ½ tsp cinnamon

Directions:
Place all above ingredients in the top of a double boiler and stir often until melted and smooth. Chill the glaze stirring occasionally, until just spreadable but not set, about 15 minutes. Spread the glaze on the brownies, stand until set.