Mexican Chocolate Brownies

For those who want to add a little spice to their lives!! 😉

Decided to make these for my good friend’s bridal shower- it was Mexican Fiesta themed! This being the first time I’ve attempted brownies from scratch, let alone anything Mexican chocolate-esque, I erred on the side of caution with the spices. That said, I hear that the spices only get stronger the next day! These have cinnamon, chili powder, and a bit of cayenne. Feel free to add more or less spice, depending on how you like it!

Mmmm… spicy! I DEFINITELY recommend this one. ¡Olé! ¡Olé!

Oh, and the Mexican cookies you see in the middle tier there were made by my good friend Rachel. Absolutely delicious. Recipe to come!

First, start off with melting the butter and chopped dark chocolate in a microwave on high for 30 second increments until completely melted. Don’t let it boil though! Mix with a fork until smooth. Add the cocoa powder slowly and continue to mix until combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.

Pour the chocolate mixture into the sugar mixture and whisk to combine. Sift in the flour, cinnamon, chili powder, cayenne, and salt until just combined. Don’t overmix! Stir in chocolate chips.

Spread the mixture evenly into a lightly greased, foiled 8×8 or 9×9 baking pan. Bake at 350 deg for about 30 minutes, until a fork comes out clean in the center (or knife, as you can see from my picture!)

Completely cool before cutting into squares! Serve warm with a scoop of ice cream, or enjoy them by themselves!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
3 oz. chopped dark chocolate
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 c. semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 9×9 or 8×8 baking pan with aluminium foil and lightly grease bottom. In a small bowl, microwave the butter and chopped chocolate until melted, in 30 second increments. Stir with a fork until smooth. Add in cocoa powder and continue to stir until completely blended. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, whisk sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Pour chocolate mixture into the sugar mixture and whisk together till smooth. Sift in flour, cinnamon, cayenne, chili powder, and salt until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips. 

Spread evenly in the lined pan and bake for about 30 minutes, or until knife in the middle comes out smooth. Cool completely before slicing into squares. ¡Olé!