Mexican Brownies

Just in time for Cinco De mayo… Mexican Brownies. Adding Cayenne and a Ganache frosting makes these hard to resist. Delicioso!! 

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks of unsalted butter (have extra nearby for greasing)
• 2 cups of sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• 2/3 cups of good-quality unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup of all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of Pequeno chili powder or cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9×13 inch baking dish with parchment paper leaving an overhang on two sides. Press the paper into the corners of the pan and lightly grease the paper with butter.
2. Melt the two sticks of butter in a nonstick saucepan over medium-low heat (do not boil the butter). Remove the pan from the heat and let it slightly cool.
3. Add the sugar, eggs, and vanilla to the saucepan and stir with a wooden spoon until combined.
4. Add the cocoa, flour, cinnamon, chili powder, salt, and baking powder and mix until smooth.
5. Spread the batter in the prepared pan and bake until you can insert a toothpick and it comes out fudgy (20-25 minutes).
6. Cool in the pan on a rack, then use the parchment paper to lift out the brownies before slicing.

Ganache Frosting:

• 1 cup of heavy cream of half and half
• 12 ounces of high-quality dark chocolate, chopped

Directions:

1. In a saucepan, heat up the cream to just below boiling.
2. Remove from heat and pour over chopped chocolate.
3. Use a wire whisk to mix until completely smooth and glossy.
4. Let cool, and spread thickly over brownies. Refrigerate before slicing into squares. The longer you allow the ganache to cool, the thicker it will set. Ganache can be refrigerated for up to a month, or frozen up to 6 months.