a little espresso pick me up

Brownies are a HUGE downfall for me!  As I am sure you can tell from my many brownie recipes they are definitely a must have in our family…but I think I have found my most favorite brownie…EVER!

Another favorite of mine is coffee and really, really strong coffee (really espresso) at that, so the idea of bringing together 2 of my favorites sounded like a match made in Half (baked) Heaven for sure.  Espresso powder has been used with chocolate for years & years to help accentuate the chocolate flavor but to make espresso a predominant flavor sounded like a must make delicious treat.  

My favorite espresso powder comes from Williams Sonoma, (which can be found here) that my mom bought for me last christmas for a stocking stuffer and I have been through many jars since, as it really has become a staple in my baking cabinet.  This particular brand is ground finer than most others making it perfect for baking…but if you don’t have a williams sonoma close by or another gourmet cooking shop, I would recommend grinding your espresso beans or grounds in a coffee grinder until very fine.

To make these brownies even more decadent I used 2 different varieties of chocolate to make them super rich, fudgy and full of chocolate in each bite.  You can use any combo of chocolate that you prefer but I just LOVE dark chocolate so that was a must for me but a combo of semi-sweet and milk would be delicious as well, you could also throw in some white chocolate if you so prefer…make it your own.  You could also throw in some nuts or toffee chips to amp it up a little more…The Hubby is not a fan of either so no nuts or toffee here. 

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Need a little afternoon pick-me-up?  Well these brownies are not only delicious but they also have the perfect hint of espresso making them a perfect pick-me-up!

Make everyday sparkle – MJ