We Should Cocoa – Chipotle Brownies

This month Chocolette challenged us to pair chocolate with chilli. How fitting that this week is both Chocolate Week & National Curry Week, it’s also London Cocktail Week but that’s a whole other story. I battled with what to make this month: Chilli Chocolate Fudge Cake with Lime Water Icing, Chocolate, Orange & Chilli Cake, Chilli Blondies & those are just a few of the other options which spun round my head. I eventual settle on brownies with a Mexican twist, adapted from a recipe by Nigel Slater as featured in The Observer Food Monthly 13/06/2004. I have to say the original is quite possibly my favourite classic “no faffy extras” brownie  recipe of all time, so if you aren’t tempt by my chipotle version you should give Nigel’s recipe a whirl. I adore chilli in all it’s many forms, I’d go as far s saying I’ve yet to try a chilli I didn’t like. I recently discovered that the Cool Chile Co stock an amazing range of chilli powders as well as plethora of dried whole chillies & condiments. After some trial & error I decided on chipotle powder, combined with cinnamon it gives these brownies a smoky kick without being overbearing.

Makes 16
250g Dark chocolate (Minimum 70% cocoa), chopped into small pieces
300g Golden caster sugar
250g Unsalted butter
3 Eggs plus 1 egg yolk
1 tsp Vanilla extract
60g Flour
1/2 tsp Baking powder
60g Cocoa powder
1 tsp Chipotle powder
1 tsp Ground cinnamon

A square brownie tin (9 inches) lined with grease proof paper.
Pre-heat your oven to 180˚C (375˚F or gas mark 5)

Melt 200g chocolate in glass bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, once the mix  is smooth & glossy place to on side to cool.

Beat the butter & sugar until the mix becomes light & fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, to avoid the mix curdling beating well before adding the next. Stir in the melted chocolate & vanilla extract, mixing until well combined. Sift the flour, baking powder, cocoa & spices together lifting the sieve high to add air to mix, gently fold into the other ingredients using a large metal spoon. Chop the remaining chocolate into chunks & fold thorough the mix. Pour into a prepared tin & level. Bake in a preheated oven for 30 mins or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out slightly sticky & the edges are set. Allow to cool in the tin before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Slice into 16 pieces & serve with a glass horchata or a margarita if you are also observing London Cocktail Week.

Today is a big day for Dear Love Blog, I’m finally making the move to self hosting. Well, I say “I” very loosely, a lovely Happiness Engineer called Hew (Best job title ever!) is moving it on my behalf, so if I vanish temporarily over the next 24 hours that’s why. It feels very grown up, like leaving home for the first time. Not much will change, you will still be able to find me at www.dearloveblog.com & there will still be plenty of baked treats.

I’m also entering this post for Bookmarked Recipes, use can see this months round up on Jacqueline’s blog Tinned Tomatoes.