Double Chocolate Stout Brownies

This year Chocolate Week is from the 11th to the 17th October.    I am sure that on any given day of the year it will be National day or week for something or another, but I like chocolate and am more than happy to celebrate and have an “official” reason to eat or cook with chocolate!

I am a a few days ahead of the game here, but tomorrow is the Chocolate Consultant’s Great Brownie Bake Off, which sadly I cannot attend, but I have made some brownies and shall be raising one to her and everyone taking part.    I have made stout brownies, as well as being a potential consequence of over-consumption, these brownies contain stout!

I was contacted a few weeks ago by Young’s who wanted me to try some of their beer in some cooking, co-incidently are also my local brewery, located in Wandsworth, just over the river from me.   I have a history of using unusual ingredients in my brownies and was keen to have a go.

Young’s Double Chocolate Stout Brownie Recipe (Makes 16)

Preparation time : 15 minutes

Cooking time : 20-22 minutes

Ingredients

250ml Young’s Double Chocolate Stout
150g plain chocolate, preferable 70% cocoa solids
175g unsalted butter
200g soft light brown sugar
75g plain flour
50 g cocoa powder
2 large eggs

Pour the stout into a measuring jug and allow the foam to settle.

Break the chocolate into a large bowl, diced the butter into the bowl and place over a pan of simmering water. Once melted, remove from the heat and stir until smooth, beat in the sugar and allow to cool to lukewarm.

Meanwhile grease a 22cm shallow tin, line with greaseproof or parchment paper. Heat the oven to 180C/160Cfan/gas4. Sieve the flour and cocoa powder together.

Using an electric beater, beat in the eggs until the mixture is glossy, carefully stir in the chocolate stout then fold in the flour and cocoa. Pour into the tin and bake for 20-22 minutes until the middle is set. The top will probably have cracks. Test the brownie with a wooden cocktail stick and it should appear to be sticky. Do not be tempted to cook longer otherwise it will become cakey and lose its characteristic fudgy texture.

Leave to cool in the tin. Turn out onto a rack and cut into squares, dust with icing sugar if liked.

The recipe is very very easy, the beer comes in 500ml bottles, so there was some spare for the cook, although I suppose you could double the recipe and not test the stout!   Make sure you do use a large bowl to melt the butter and chocolate in, you will be adding all the other ingredients into it, my bowl was not big enough and I have chocolate covered jeans after being a little too enthusiastic with the electric beater.

Interestingly look at the cocoa, I finished one tub and started a new one, the lighter one is Waitrose, the darker Green & Blacks.   I have no idea if there is any difference in taste, but was struck by the colour difference.

These brownies are seriously fudgey, moist and moreish.  The stout adds another layer of malty chocolately flavour.

Next time I make these (and there certainly will be a next time), I’ll add some dried fruit and nuts, maybe chocolate drops, and I’ll certainly be making a double batch.

Fudgey!

Thanks to Young’s for the free stout for this recipe.