It’s amazing how good friends really step it up in the face of a crisis. When I found out on Sunday that Andy (who was in Vegas) had a dangerously bad nosebleed, went to the ER, and needed surgery- it didn’t take me long to buy a last minute ticket to fly out and be with him. I emailed all of my wonderful Milk Bar Monday friends, letting them know I may not be able to post in time, and also asking if anyone could possibly Guest Post for me since I had no idea when I’d be back. When I landed in Vegas and turned on my phone, I was so touched with all the kind and generous offers to help out. I really am lucky to have such a great community.
When Meagan from the wonderful blog Scarletta Bakes offered to share one of her treats with you all I was so touched and excited. She comes up with the most delicious recipes and I love that these brownies show off a bit of her Southwestern flare. Head over to her site and get ready to drool!
PS- Andy is doing much better. Fingers crossed he gets cleared at his appointment today and we’ll be on the red eye home tonight. Here’s Meagan…
What a treat to be guest posting on Audra’s lovely blog! In the time that I have come to know Audra, I have learned that she is not only a slammin’ baker and an inspirational blogger, but she is also such a wonderful person and friend. So I am thrilled to be a part of The Baker Chick today! Let’s celebrate with some brownies!
Someone recently asked me if I had ever met anyone who didn’t like eating heat/spice with chocolate. I had to pause and think about it, and I realized that I have never actually encountered one of these foreign creatures.
I began to wonder, if I did meet one, would we be able to communicate?
Would I have to use charades to help them understand the importance of trying a little freshly ground chile powder with their chocolate sauce?
Or maybe I would have to mime the value of sprinkling a spoonful of ground cayenne over a bowl of chocolate ice cream.
I’m not sure.
But I am pretty sure that, instead of busting out my incredibly lacking charades skills, I could simply serve them an Ancho Brownie and we would be communicating just fine.
I have absolutely loved this recipe ever since I found it: it’s simple to prepare and yields enormous, spicy squares of ridiculously chocolatey brownies.
I also really like that the recipe itself has a very simplistic feel to it; the author never once mentions a hand or stand mixer, and, in this spirit, I use only a bowl, whisk and double boiler when preparing the batter. It’s a total cinch.
It’s chocolate. It’s spice. It’s a panacea to any communication issues. Skip the charades and try an Ancho Brownie today.
Ingredients
- 1 pound semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 1 pound unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 8 eggs, at room temperature
- 3 cups sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ tablespoons ancho chile powder
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup pine nuts or pecans, toasted (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Butter a 9 by 13-inch baking pan.
- Combine the chocolate and butter in the top ?pan of a double boiler, place over (not touching) barely simmering water in the bottom pan, and heat, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate and butter have melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until thickened and smooth. Add the flour, ancho powder, chocolate chips, and nuts and stir until thoroughly combined. Whisk in the chocolate and butter mixture.
- Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack. Cut into 12 squares. Serve with the ice cream.
Notes
Cook’s note: I found that these brownies took much longer than 20-25 minutes to bake in my oven at 325 degrees – almost 40 minutes total. I would check your brownies for doneness starting at 22 minutes, and don’t be afraid to give them the extra time if they need it.
I hope everything continues to improve. These brownies look wonderful. I enjoy reading every one of Meagan’s blog posts.
I’m so glad Andy’s okay and that so many people reached out to make the emergency much more bearable. The blogsphere is full of incredible people!
I adore Meagan’s blog. I first stumbled across it on foodbuzz about 2 months ago and everything she posts makes me drool. This recipe is sure to be a keeper. You’re obsession may be sweet and salty…mine is sweet and spicy. Mayan Mocha is the ultimate comfort for me!
I just found your blog and think it’s beautiful! Your recipes look soooooo yummy and the design is perfect. I’ll be around from Spain =)
Sorry about Andy, I hope he’s better, but thank you Meagan for the delicious brownies!
I love chili powder in brownies!!! Especially with some vanilla ice cream..yum!
http://www.lifeofamodernhousewife.com
I hope that Andy is ok, and you can go home tonight. Scary stuff, glad you could fly out there to be with him!
Great guest post, love Meagan, she always has such desserts!
Ouch! Glad to hear he’s better. This brownie looks amazing…..gonna try it for a get-together this weekend. Safe travels home!
Audra glad to know that Andy is on the mend and Meagan another delicious looking recipe. A little kick with chocolate can be so good!
Oh no, I hope Andy gets better soon! One more reason I won’t let my husband go to Vegas without me! The first was the movie The Hangover, obviously…
So glad things are looking up, Audra. Safe travels home! Awesome brownies, Meagan. My hubs will love these!
I love brownie variations!
Chili powder in brownies? LOVE it!