Triple Chocolate Brownies

Tell me you don't wish there was a brownie truck driving around your neighborhood right now..... I bet you can't!

Brownies are a classic favorite, and yes, there are plenty of excellent boxed mixes out there, but nothing is better than a brownie (or any baked good, in my opinion) made from scratch. This brownie is fantastic - it is so decadently fudgy and packed with chocolate flavor emphasized with a touch of coffee and vanilla extract. Yes, this will take a little longer to make but trust me, it is well worth it.

I like to use Trader Joe's 72% dark chocolate for this recipe, but any good dark or bittersweet chocolate will work. If you don't like dark chocolate, you can substitute milk chocolate, but I urge you to give these a try as is first.

You're gonna have to trust me on this - you will not taste the coffee in these.  Coffee (and vanilla) really enhance the taste of chocolate.  I use a little brewed coffee or instant espresso powder in everything chocolate I make to bump up the flavor of the chocolate.

These brownies are amazing on their own but also make an excellent base for a brownie sundae!! Warm the brownie in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, top with vanilla ice cream, and salted caramel sauce - DELICIOUS!!!!!

Triple Chocolate Brownies

Ingredients:

1 stick of butter
6 oz dark chocolate (about 1/3 of a Trader Joe's pound plus bar) chopped, divided
1/4 cup dark cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp brewed coffee
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup AP flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup chopped walnuts (or other nuts of your choice, optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

1. Spray (or butter) an 8-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and line it with parchment leaving an overhang on two sides. Spray/butter the parchment as well.

2. Whisk the flour and cocoa powder together in a small bowl and set aside.

3. In a heatproof bowl, set over (not in) a saucepan of simmering water, combine the butter, 4 oz of chocolate, vanilla, coffee, and salt. Heat stirring occasionally, just until melted.

4. Remove the chocolate from the heat and add the sugars, and mix until well combined.

6. Lightly beat the eggs and then add them to the chocolate and sugar mixture, mixing them until they are well combined.

7. Fold in the flour and cocoa mixture until just combined.

8. Toss the remaining chopped chocolate with a teaspoon of flour and fold into the batter.

9. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared baking pan and top with chopped nuts.

10. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with some moist crumbs, 30-35 minutes.

11. Remove baked brownies from the oven and cool completely in the pan. 

12. Use the paper overhang to lift the brownie out of the pan onto a cutting board. Cut into 9-16 squares.

*Bakers Notes

For very clean-cut brownies, refrigerate for a couple of hours to firm up and wipe the knife after each cut.
This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled without any adjustments in the measuring - simply double/triple all the ingredients and bake in a larger pan. For a double recipe, use a 9x13 pan. For a triple recipe, use a half sheet tray or a pan that is approximately 18x13.