Rich chocolate toffee espresso brownies are a perfect unique chocolate brownie indulgence.
There are a few posts on this blog that are what I dub “accidental recipes”. Accidental recipes happen when messing around in the kitchen, creating what you didn’t know you wanted out of what you have. In this case, I didn’t know I wanted dark chocolate-rich brownies with just a hint of espresso and toffee. At least, I didn’t know until I made them.
This past December, via various groups, I had around 4 cookie exchange parties. The thought of repeating cookie recipes for each bothered me, so I made a different cookie for every party. One party got peppermint chocolate sandwich cookies, I forget what I made for two others, and I made salted caramel chocolate chip cookies for the fourth. The cookies were almost salted toffee chocolate chips cookies. When I went shopping for the ingredients, I couldn’t find the baking caramel bits! So, not knowing if I’d make it to another store before the exchange, I picked up toffee bits as a not-identical-but-still-tastes-good substitute for the caramel. A trip to another store happened, and with caramel baking bits procured, I found myself with an “extra” bag of toffee baking bits.
So when I decided I wanted to make brownies one day, and I didn’t want “plain” brownies, I grabbed the bag, and ate a tablespoon or two of toffee bits while searching the pantry a little more. It’s called research and is very scientific. 😉 Anyway, I saw the espresso powder I use to add flavor to things like my Cuban coffee truffles, and grabbed it to add to the brownies too. These are the result, and after one bite, I had to write everything down for the blog and snap a few pictures. This way, I won’t forget what I did and can make them again.
I hope you enjoy the recipe, darlings!
Toffee Espresso Brownies
Rich chocolate toffee espresso brownies are a perfect unique chocolate brownie indulgence. They have just a hint of coffee flavor and a nutty toffee crunch!
Ingredients
- 7 ounces semisweet or dark chocolate, chopped (or you can use chips in a pinch), 198 g, about 1 1/8 cups
- 8 tbsp unsalted butter, 113 g
- 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, 15 g
- 1 cup granulated sugar, 198 g
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 eggs, large
- 1 1/2 tbsp instant espresso powder, 9 g
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, 120 g
- 3/4 cup toffee bits, 117 g, divided
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 F (gas mark 4, 177 C). Spray an 8x8" pan with nonstick cooking spray (or butter well), and line with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a microwave safe bowl, melt together the chocolate and butter. Start with 1 minute at 50% power, then stir. Add additional 30 second increments, as needed, until smooth. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, sift together the cocoa powder, sugar, salt, and espresso powder. Stir in the eggs one at a time, then add the flour and two thirds of the toffee (1/2 cup). Mix until just combined and then pour into your prepared baking pan. Top the brownies with the remaining toffee bits.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes until the brownies look slightly puffed and the edges are just starting to set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a rack at least 1 hour until the brownies come to room temperature. Remove from the pan and cut into squares. Enjoy!
Susan
Thursday 3rd of May 2018
The recipe never says what to do with the butter and chocolate mixture. Made these tonight, mixing in the butter and chocolate mixture into the dry ingredients and they came out raw in the center. Not sure what went wrong.
Mary (The Goodie Godmother)
Friday 25th of May 2018
I'm so sorry to hear that! After reading your comment I went ahead and baked these (was making brownies over the weekend anyway), and I didn't have the same issue. I am working in a new (to me) oven since we just moved houses, and found that with this new oven I had to bake closer to 35 minutes to get the done edges and slightly crackly top that signals "done" brownies. It sounds like they needed a bit more time. I also wait a bit before cutting so the chocolate can "set" as the brownies cool. I'm sorry you didn't get great results! I hope you'll try the recipe again with a little extra baking time built in. ;)
Evelyn S
Friday 18th of August 2017
About how many brownies are made from this recipe, in the 8x8 pan? It says it will make 16, but if I'm not mistaken those would be really small brownies! I need to make 88 decent sized brownies for a bake sale that I'm putting on, so what would you recommend?
Mary (The Goodie Godmother)
Saturday 19th of August 2017
These brownies are pretty rich, which is why I cut them in 2" squares. I understand that's not how most brownies are at yard sales though, so you can just cut them larger and get about 9 brownies per pan. You can also double this recipe to bake in a 9x13" pan, to help minimize the number of batches you're making. 88 brownies is a lot!