Espresso Brownies

I have to say - entering blog giveaways is definitely something of a hobby for me, and one with excellent results!  One of my recent wins was a giveaway from Dawn of vanilla sugar blog for the cookbook Baking Basics and Beyond.  This cookbook contains lots of scrumptious desserts, and these espresso brownies were the first recipe I tried.  I baked these for a retreat I went to, and they definitely fit everything I was looking for  - easy to make, easy to transport, and absolutely delicious!  Everything gets mixed up in just one bowl (plus a tiny bowl to mix the coffee and espresso powder - but this can just be quickly rinsed), so cleanup is a breeze.  The brownies are super fudgey, although you could bake them a little longer if you prefer brownies that are more 'set.'  The unsweetened chocolate and chocolate chips give a deep chocolate flavor.  The espresso flavor was more subtle - next time I would probably use a little more instant espresso powder. Overall, these were definitely a crowd-pleaser -- thanks to Dawn for a great cookbook!

Espresso Brownies (adapted from Baking Basics and Beyond)
Makes a 9x13 pan of brownies

1/2 cup butter
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
2 T warm coffee
1 tsp instant espresso powder
2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup chocolate chips or chocolate chunks

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a 9x13 baking pan with parchment.  Spray or coat with oil.
2. Melt the butter and chocolate together.  Let cool slightly.
3. Combine the coffee and espresso powder in a small bowl until dissolved.  Whisk into the chocolate mixture.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, vanilla, and eggs until the mixture is smooth.  Whisk in the chocolate mixture.  Add the flour and mix in with a rubber spatula, and then stir in the chocolate chips.
5. Scrape batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth the top.  Bake 20-25 minutes, until the batter just barely jiggles (for super fudgey brownies) or does not jiggle (for more 'set' brownies).  Cool in the pan.