Oatmeal Stout Brownies Recipe
This recipe, created by Joe Stutler, was a national finalist in the 2006 Cooking With Beer Challenge. The malt and oats in the beer enhances the flavor of the chocolate in these delicious brownies. Not overly cake-ey, not overly fudge-ey, the texture is nicely balanced. They're also decadently chocolate, and surprisingly light (thanks to the eggs). Great with a fruity beer, such as a lambic (Framboise, yum!).
Ingredients:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch-processed preferred)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted room temperature butter, cut into cubes
- 8 ounces dark bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- ¾ cup white chocolate chips
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1¼ cups (10 ounces) Oatmeal Stout beer(room temperature)
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 1 large egg
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with non-stick foil (or grease and flour - or parchment paper; your call).
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, and salt until evenly combined. Set aside.
- Melt butter, bittersweet chocolate, and white chocolate chips in a double boiler over very low heat, stirring constantly until melted. Remove from heat.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add melted chocolate mixture, beating until combined.
- Beat reserved flour mixture into melted chocolate mixture. Whisk in stout beer. The batter will seem a bit thin. Drop semisweet chocolate chips evenly on top of batter (some will sink in).
- Pour into prepared baking pan.
- Beat cream cheese in medium bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth.
- Gradually beat in sugar. Beat in vanilla and 1 egg just until blended.
- Pour cream cheese mixture over brownie batter in pan; cut through mixture with knife several times for marbled design.
- Bake 25 to 35 minutes on center rack in the oven, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean.
- Let brownies cool, uncovered, to room temperature. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving if desired.
- Makes 18 (cut ~ 2x3 inch) to 24 (cut ~ 2x2 inch) if cut to desert size. For finger-food/snack portions you could halve the above dimensions to get 36-48 portions.
- Plating suggestion: swirl a raspberry lambic reduction sauce (12 oz lambic [reduced to half], 4-6 oz seedless raspberry purée, 2-4 oz turbinado sugar, ½-1 teaspoon corn starch) on the plate, garnish with mint leaves, raspberries, lemon zest.
