Ultimate Dark Chocolate Brownies
These ultimate dark chocolate brownies, made with bourbon and espresso, studded with chunks of dark chocolate, and sprinkled with flaky salt, are the grown-up version of the classic everyone loves.
December is my favorite month of the year to bake. Something about the cold, and the sense of magic in the air, makes December baking delightful. This is the time for cookies, of course, but I’m here to sing the praises of brownies.
There’s no shortage of brownie recipes on the site. I’ve got something for everyone. Brownies with nuts. Classic brownies, of course. Fancy brownies with caramel or Nutella. But of all the brownie recipes I’ve made, this recipe for ultimate dark chocolate brownies is my favorite. That’s no surprise given that it’s baked with ingredients I love–dark chocolate, bourbon, espresso, and flaky salt.
I baked a pan of these brownies last year to share with friends. It was cold, but we were still in the days of the pandemic where it felt safest to be outside. So I drove around delivering these to some of my friends that I hadn’t seen for months. We had masked conversations in their yards or patios. It was such a strange time, and baking for friends was one of the only things that felt normal.
Things have changed since this time last year, but my love of these brownies remains. They’re fudgy and decadent, with the perfect balance of sweet and salty.
- COOK TIME:
- YIELD: 32 brownies
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped (about 2 cups)
1 cup unsalted butter
4 large eggs
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons (1½ ounces) bourbon
2 tablespoons instant espresso granules
1½ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon kosher salt
12 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (about 2 cups), divided
Flaky sea salt, for topping
- 1
Butter a 9×13-inch pan and line with parchment, allowing the parchment to overhang the two long sides. Alternately, mist pan with baking spray with flour. Heat oven to 350ºF.
- 2
Bring a medium pot with about an inch of water to simmer over low heat. Combine bittersweet chocolate in butter in a heatproof bowl and place over the water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until melted, about 2 minutes. Set aside to cool for about 10 minutes.
- 3
Whisk eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, bourbon, and espresso granules, and kosher salt into cooled chocolate mixture until well combined. Pour half the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with half of the semisweet chocolate. Pour remaining batter into pan, smoothing the top with a spatula. Sprinkle with remaining chocolate.
- 4
Bake until the center is set, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with flaky salt. Cool in pan for 1 hour. Using the parchment, lift out the brownies then cut into 32 bars.
Once completely cool, brownies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
