The Baked Brownie Spiced Up Food

BAKED SPICY BROWNIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter the sides and bottom of a glass or light-colored metal 8x8-inch pan.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, cocoa powder, chili powder, and cinnamon.
• Use a double boiler, or configure a double boiler (fill a medium saucepan with 2 inches of water and fit a metal bowl on top without letting it touch water; bring water to a boil). Place the chocolate and butter in the bowl and stir occasionally until both are completely melted and combined, about 6 minutes. Turn off the heat, but keep the bowl over the water and add both sugars. Whisk until completely combined and remove the bowl from the pan. Let stand until room temperature, about 20 minutes.
• Add the eggs to the chocolate-butter mixture and whisk until just combined. Add the vanilla and ginger; whisk to combine. Do not overbeat the batter at this stage or the brownies will be cakey.
• Sprinkle the flour-cocoa mixture over the chocolate mixture. Using a spatula (do not use a whisk!), fold the dry ingredients into the wet until there is just a trace amount of the flour-cocoa mix visible.
• Pour the batter into the greased pan and smooth the top with the spatula. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes; the brownies are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
• Cool brownies completely before cutting and serving.

SPICY CINNAMON-CHOCOLATE BROWNIES

Steps:

• For the brownies: Position an oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-by-13-inch ceramic or glass baking dish with vegetable oil cooking spray. Line the dish with a 15-inch-square piece of parchment paper, allowing the excess paper to overhang the sides. Spray the parchment paper with vegetable oil cooking spray.
• Blend together the brownie mix, eggs, vegetable oil, 1/4 cup water, cinnamon and cayenne pepper in a large bowl. Beat the mixture for 1 minute using an electric hand mixer on medium speed. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted about 1-inch from the edge of the baking dish comes out clean, 25 to 27 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool for 1 hour.
• For the buttercream: Place the cream and chocolate chips in a medium bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove the bowl from the pan and refrigerate until thick, 20 minutes. Add the butter and cocoa powder and beat the mixture on high speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Spread the buttercream over the cooled brownie layer. Dust with the cinnamon and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Lift the brownie layer from the pan, using the excess paper for handles. Run a thin spatula underneath the brownie layer to loosen it from the parchment paper. Cut into 24 brownies and serve.
• Cook's Note: The buttercream can be made ahead of time. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Allow the buttercream to come to room temperature for 30 minutes then beat until smooth enough to spread.

THE BAKED BROWNIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Butter the sides and bottom of a glass or light colored metal pan 9x13x2 pan.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, the salt, and cocoa powder.
• Configure a large sized double boiler. Place the chocolate, the butter, and the instant espresso powder in the bowl of the double boiler and stir occasionally until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and combined. Turn off the heat, but keep the bowl over the water of the double boiler and add both sugars. Whisk the sugars until completely combined and remove the bowl from the pan. Mixture should be room temperature.
• Add three eggs to the chocolate/butter mixture and whisk until just combined. Add the remaining eggs and whisk until just combined. Add the vanilla and stir until combined. Do not over beat the batter at this stage or your brownies will be cakey.
• Sprinkle the flour/cocoa/salt mix over the chocolate. Using a spatula (DO NOT USE A WHISK) fold the dry into the wet until there is just a trace amount of the flour/cocoa mix visible.
• Pour the mixture into the pan and smooth the top with your spatula. Bake the brownies for 30 minutes (rotate the pan half-way through baking) and check to make sure the brownies are completely done by sticking a toothpick into the center of the pan. The brownies are done when the toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
• Cool the brownies completely before cutting and serving.

THE BAKED BROWNIE, SPICED UP

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the sides and bottom of a 9 x 13 glass or light-colored metal baking pan. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, salt, cocoa powder and spices (chipotle, cinnamon and cardamom), if you're using them, together. Put the chocolate, butter, and instant espresso powder in a large bowl and set it over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and smooth. Turn off the heat, but keep the bowl over the water and add the sugars. Whisk until completely combined, then remove the bowl from the pan. The mixture should be room temperature. Add 3 eggs to the chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Add the remaining eggs and whisk until combined. Add the vanilla and stir until combined. Do not overbeat the batter at this stage or your brownies will be cakey. Sprinkle the flour mixture over the chocolate mixture. Using a spatula (not a whisk), fold the flour mixture into the chocolate until just a bit of the flour mixture is visible. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake in the center of the oven for 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out with a few moist crumbs sticking to it. Let the brownies cool completely, then cut them int osquares and serve. Tightly covered with plastic wrap, the brownies keep at room temperature for up to 3 days.

THE BAKED SPICY BROWNIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350. Butter sides and bottom of a glass or light-colored metal 8x8-inch pan.
• Whisk together flour, salt, cocoa powder, chili powder and cinnamon.
• Melt chocolate and butter (either in the microwave or on top of a double boiler). Whisk in both sugars. Let stand until room temp, about 20 minutes.
• Add eggs; whisk to combine. Add vanilla and ginger; whisk again. Don't overbeat if you want fudgey brownies.
• Sprinkle flour-cocoa mixture over the chocolate mixture. Using a spatula (not the whisk!) fold the dry into the wet until there is just a trace amount of the flour mixture visible.
• Pour batter into pan and smooth top. Bake for 27-30 minutes until toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool completely before cutting and serving.