Raise your hand if you could use a really good brownie about now. Me, too.
These Triple Chocolate Espresso Brownies will knock your socks off. Just reread the recipe title again. Slowly.
Triple. Chocolate. Espresso. Brownies. Whoa!
These brownies incorporate several types of chocolate and a powerful hit of espresso into a decadently-rich dessert. Texture-wise, they fall somewhere between a cakey brownie and a chocolate candy.
Lots of mental health benefits in these brownies, too.
Hats off to Mrs. Bertha Potter-Palmer. She’s the lady who put the brownie on the dessert map. Reportedly, Mrs. Palmer asked the chef at the Palmer House Hotel in Chicago to create a portable chocolate dessert. The Palmer House was catering boxed lunches for ladies attending the Columbian World’s Fair Exposition held in Chicago in 1893 and Bertha was looking for a special treat to pack in the boxes. (Bertha had been given the hotel as a wedding gift from her husband. Poor Bertha.)
The Palmer House Brownie was a big hit and quickly became a regular menu item at the hotel. Here is a link to Bertha’s recipe: Palmer House Brownie. Here is a look at the gorgeous room where guests enjoyed the treat. The brownie, by the way, is still on the menu at $12 a pop.
Today, you can, of course, find many variations on the original Palmer brownie. This one is particularly delicious. Somehow I think Bertha would approve.
Save RecipeIngredients
- 1/4 C. all-purpose flour
- 1/4 C. dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 2 t. instant espresso powder (I used King Arthur brand)
- 1/4 t. kosher salt
- 1/2 C. unsalted butter (cut into cubes)
- 2 oz. unsweetened chocolate (chopped)
- 1 1/4 C. granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs (at room temperature)
- 1 t. vanilla extract
- 1/2 C. chocolate chips
- 6 oz. dark chocolate (50-70%) (chopped)
- 1/4 C. heavy cream
- 1/4 C. unsalted butter (cubed)
- 1 T. corn syrup
- 1 t. instant espresso powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and prepare an 8 by 8 inch square baking pan by lining it with parchment and lightly buttering the paper.
- Put flour, cocoa powder, salt and espresso powder into a medium bowl and whisk these dry ingredients together. Set aside.
- Put butter and chopped chocolate in a saucepan over low heat. When the mixture is melted, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the sugar until it is partially dissolved and forms a grainy paste. Let the mixture cool for a few minutes and then whisk in the eggs one at a time. Completely mix the first egg into the batter before adding the second egg. At this point, you need to continue whisking the batter for 1 to 2 more minutes until the batter is smooth and shiny.
- Whisk the vanilla into the batter.
- Add the dry ingredients to the batter and fold in until the dry ingredients are just incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Scrape the batter into your prepared 8 by 8 inch pan. Bake for approximately 35 minutes. When the brownies are done put the pan on a rack. Let cool completely or refrigerate overnight.
- Prepare the glaze by combining chocolate, cream, butter, corn syrup, and espresso in a saucepan over low heat. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Pour over the brownies and spread with a spatula to ensure that you have an even layer. Tap the pan of glazed brownies on your counter top to help the glaze settle and to remove any air bubbles. Cool for at least 1 hour and then place the brownies (covered) in your refrigerator so that the glaze will be completely set before trying to cut the brownies into individual portions.
- When you are ready to cut and serve the brownies, remove the brownies from the refrigerator. Using the parchment paper as handles, remove the complete block of brownies from the pan. Use a large knife to slice the brownies into 16 squares. (I ran mine under hot water and then dried ithe knife each time I was ready to make a cut.)
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This recipe is adapted from one on the Love and Olive Oil site here.
