The Ultimate Warm Brownie Recipe Perfect With Vanilla Ice Cream

I have found the ultimate, hands-down, go-to recipe for a warm brownie that’s perfect with ice cream! I have two favorite brownie recipes that my family loves: one is great as it is but the other one (this recipe I’ll share with you) is the recipe I use for warm brownies with vanilla ice cream. I have found the secret! It’s espresso powder and salt! Yes! Yes! Coffee!

The first time I tried this recipe was last month on Valentine’s Day. We had a little family baking thing going on that day. My daughter likes to help me out when I’m doing something, anything she can get her little hands on. Since it was Valentine’s Day, I thought hubby and my four-year-old daughter would find it a nice surprise if I baked heart-shaped brownies.

However, I did bake a separate batch in my brownie pan to save for the next day.

I compiled recipes that I’ve tried and came up with this one. I think it’s not too sweet, not cakey, but just really moist in the inside and it’s got that crust coat on top. Best of all, it’s the espresso powder and salt that really brings out the real chocolatey goodness of the cocoa powder.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 3/4 cup butter
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup cocoa powder
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup good quality chocolates (shredded) – this is optional. I didn’t add this since the recipe was sweet enough for me.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325. Line your brownie pan with parchment or (I prefer) foil.Lightly grease foil with butter.
2. Over low heat, melt the butter. Remove from heat and gradually add the sugar. Return to heat making sure it’s not bubbling. The heat will dissolve more of the sugar which will give the brownies a nice crust on top. The process will not completely dissolve all the sugar unless you have added the sugar gradually. Just be patient 🙂
3. Add the cocoa powder, espresso powder.
4. Remove from heat. Add the vanilla and baking powder to the melted butter-sugar.
5. Whisk in eggs. Make sure your butter mixture is cooled before you add the eggs or you’ll risk scrambling them. Add one egg at a time and make sure the first one is completely incorporated to the mixture before adding the next one.
6. Add the flour and stir until combined.
7. Pour into prepared pan and bake at 325 for 25-30 minutes. If you’re using a dark brownie pan, it should be done by 25 minutes. Or you can insert a toothpick and it comes out with a few crumbs then it’s good.
8. Remove from pan and cool for five minutes and run the edges with a knife to keep the center from sinking.
9. Pair this with vanilla ice cream and you are in heaven 🙂

But you shouldn’t make these at home. Seriously! Why? You’ll keep making them over and over again. And it will all go down to your thighs and blame me for it!

But then again, you will never know the taste of a really good warm brownie in a cup with vanilla ice cream…mmmmm 🙂