Rich Chocolate Brownies with Espresso Buttercream Frosting

Brownies

¾ cup dark chocolate (chips or bar chopped up), melted

¾ cup butter, melted

½ cup light brown sugar, firmly packed

½ cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp espresso instant coffee (I use Cafe Bustelo) dissolved in 2 tbsp hot water (See Notes)

½ cup flour or ½ cup Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 GF flour or ½ cup of your favorite GF flour blend + ¼ tsp xanthan gum (omit if your flour already contains)

5 tbsp cocoa powder

Pinch of salt

¾ cup milk or semi-sweet chocolate (chips or bar chopped up – I use semi-sweet mini chips)

Frosting

½ cup butter at room temperature

2 - 2½ cups powdered sugar

2 tbsp coffee liqueur (I use Irish Cream) or 2 tbsp strong coffee or espresso if you prefer alcohol free (See Notes)

Brownies

Spray 8 x 8 inch square pan with GF baking spray.

Whisk together GF flour, cocoa & salt. Set aside. 

In large mixing bowl whisk together melted butter, brown sugar & sugar. Whisk on medium-high for 3-5 minutes to completely combine.

Add eggs & coffee, & whisk until completely combined.

Melt dark chocolate in a small bowl in the microwave in 15 second increments so it doesn’t burn. When melted, stir briskly to cool it off a little, but keep it melted & smooth. (if it’s too hot, it will cook the eggs when you add it.)

Add the melted chocolate slowly to the sugar mixture. Combining completely.

Gently fold in the flour mixture by hand with a spatula or large spoon, just until combined. Fold in the chopped chocolate/chocolate chips.

Pour batter into prepared pan.

Spread out as evenly as you can

Bake at 375° for about 30 minutes. Center should be set & edges shouldn’t be too brown. A toothpick inserted in the middle should come out almost clean. (They’re brownies, so you want them a little gooey on the inside! If you over-bake them, they will be dry.)

Remove to wire rack & cool completely.

 Frosting

In large bowl add butter & coffee liqueur/strong coffee & beat on high to soften & completely combine.

Add 1 cup powdered sugar & beat on high until combined. Add 1 cup powdered sugar & beat on high until combined & fluffy. If the consistency is too soft or thin, just keep adding up to ½ cup more of powdered sugar until it is the right consistency to spread on the brownies. If it ends up a little too stiff, just add a little more Irish Cream or strong/espresso coffee a few drops at a time until you get the consistency you want.

Spread over cooled brownies.

You can lightly dust with cocoa powder or hot chocolate powder, if desired.

Gently tap the side of the strainer to get a light dusting of the cocoa.

The cocoa is more for decoration than taste, so use just enough to make it look pretty!

Cut into squares & serve!

Notes:

This recipe is based on tasting-thyme.com/rich-chocolate-brownies-with-espresso-martini-buttercream. Thanks Florence!

These are VERY rich! You actually don’t taste the espresso or Irish Cream as much as you would think. But they are still delicious!

For the coffee, you can also use 1 tsp coffee extract. Just keep in mind that most flavored extracts contain gluten. It will end up being a very tiny amount in each serving, but if you are very sensitive to gluten, I would recommend going with the instant coffee.

Regarding the Irish Cream liqueur in the frosting – it contains whiskey (which is made from wheat, barley or rye), but most agree that it is safe for those with gluten allergies because of the distillation process. However, if you have any concerns, just use strong coffee or espresso!