Spiced Guinness Brownies

With Father's Day almost upon us, I thought it only appropriate to share a jaunty, masculine recipe. Of course it's perfectly okay for ladies to enjoy their stout, too I do, despite my mom's clucking whenever I reach for a Guinness at summer get-togethers.

Usually for Father's Day I pay tribute to my dad's memory by making something laced with his beloved peanut butter. This year however, with the wonderful crop of summer ales and stouts from the local microbrewery, I decided to go a different route. My dad loved wine, but even he enjoyed the occasional dark, flavourful, elixir. Unfortunately my stout stash had been depleted before I could use it for baking. (I blame me.) So instead of using a local brew, I went with classic Guinness. Thank goodness for backup.

When I enjoy a glass of wine, I long to play the cello (someday I shall!). When I drink exotic cocktails, I listen to Nouvelle Vague and want to learn how to tango (with Tom Hiddleston) and speak Portuguese & chill out on a beach in Ibiza. But when I drink an cold dark stout, I want to slip on a comfy summer dress and equally comfy ballet flats, sit on the porch at twilight and hang out with my nearest & dearest friends. A flock of thirty-somethings listening to Tori Amos, Fiona Apple and Dave Matthews Band (circa 1994), wondering how we're suddenly 30-something.

These brownies are kind of like that - comfortable, unpretentious + capable of keeping secrets (like how many you're about to inhale, and what you did inhale in your college dorm). They are slightly on the "cakey" side, but I think that's because I over-thought things and overmixed the batter. The Guinness flavour is definitely noticeable; the brownies kind of taste the way a chocolate stout might taste if it were edible (and doused with sugar). You're welcome. :)


To all the dads out there, especially the thirty-something new ones, Happy Father's Day! xo

Spiced Guinness Brownies

makes about 25-30 brownies

ingredients

1 cup Guinness (if you don't have Guinness on hand, any strong stout will do)

10 ounces dark chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli's 60% cacao chips)

1 cup (that's 2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 eggs

1 egg yolk

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup rolled oats (optional - it really didn't do anything for me)

method

In a small saucepan, bring the Guinness to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 10-12 minutes, or until the Guinness is reduced to half the original amount (you should be left with 1/2 a cup). Remove the pan from the heat and set the Guinness aside to cool.

Create a double boiler: Fill a saucepan with about 1/2 inch of water and bring it to a simmer. Find a large heat-proof bowl that sits snugly on top of the saucepan - make sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Place the chocolate chips and butter into the bowl and place the bowl over the simmering pot of water. Stir until the chocolate and butter are melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove the bowl from the the simmering water and set aside until it reaches room temperature (about 15 minutes).

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a 9 x 13 inch pan with foil, leaving a slight overhang around the edges. Butter the foil.

Pour the cool chocolate/butter mixture into a large mixing bowl {Note: If the bowl you melted the chocolate in is large enough to hold the rest of the ingredients, feel free to keep using it). Whisk in the sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, salt and 1/2 cup of the reduced Guinness. Add the eggs and egg yolk one at a time - mixing just until each egg is incorporated. Add the flour and and oats - use a large rubber spatula to gently fold into the chocolate mixture. To avoid "cakey" brownies, try not to overmix the batter.

Pour the batter into prepared pan, use an offset spatula to spread it into an even layer.

Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the pan from the oven and place onto a cooling rack. Cool completely before removing the brownies from the pan. Once the brownies are cool, use the foil overhang to gently lift them from the pan. If desired, garnish with sifted confectioners' sugar.

adapted from Bon Appétit