Espresso Brownies, filled with the richness of cocoa, a shot of espresso and a hint of Kahlua liqueur, there's hardly anyone who could resist these super-delicious brownies! They are very easy to make, and you can experiment with several flavored coffee powders to make a version that works best for you. For regular cocoa brownies, omit Kahlua and add some chocolate chips instead if you want. These come out somewhere between cakey & chewy - ultra-moist and sinfully delicious, these Espresso Brownies are a perfect dessert for a cocktail party!

I'm going to send these luscious Espresso Brownies to Susan's Blogiversary Bash, and also to Kelly for her Gordon Ramsay Celebration!

Ingredients
1 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup bittersweet dark chocolate - chopped
1/2 cup butter (1-stick)
1 cup all purpose flour
3 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp instant espresso
1 tbsp kahlua liqueur (optional)
1-1/4 cup sugar (or adjust to your taste)
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
confectioner's sugar(optional)- for dusting

Method
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 11 x 7-inch (or 10" square) non-stick baking pan and set aside.

Melt the chocolates and butter over a double boiler & stir until smooth to make a ganache. Then remove from heat and keep aside.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt and espresso. In another mixing bowl, beat sugar, egg and vanilla on medium high until light colored, about 2 minutes.

Beat in the chocolate until well combined. Add the flour mixture slowly into the egg mixture until well blended. Finally stir in the Kahlua liqueur. If you like your brownies a bit fudgy, leave it like this; but if you need a more cake-like texture, beat the mixture for another 1 min, to aerate it even further.

Pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted 2 inched from the side comes out clean.

Cool completely, then cut into 8-10 rectangles. To make clean cuts of the brownie, allow it to cool entirely (about 45-60 mins) once out of the oven. Then use a plastic knife to cut into even slices.

Variations: You can use amaretto instead of kahlua; use any flavored coffee instead of plain espresso if you like.

Dust the Espresso Brownies with a sprinkling of powdered (confectioner's) sugar, and eat your way to heaven!

| baked, brownies, chocolate, coffee, desserts, liqueur