We are almost at the finish line...day 10 of Christmas, more liquor...in bourbon fudge brownies. I feel like I really ought to just call this the 12 days of how to put liquor in your diet at Christmas.
This bourbon fudge brownie is for all the adults in your life. Make a separate cookie tray this year for them. Only not with cookies (plural), just with this brownie. They will all thank you.
Now onto the brownie...
I don't really like bourbon, can I just make these without?
You really cannot. This recipe is specifically tested with bourbon, and I would not recommend trying to leave it out (I did for testing purposes and they were dry and more cakey, and just not as good). If you are not a bourbon lover or prefer an no alcohol brownie, I do have you covered:
All three of these are wonderful options.
Ok, but what kind of bourbon?
So that part, my friends is entirely up to you, pick whatever you love. Since this took me a couple tries I used two different kinds in testing, Bulleit and Makers Mark. Both were equally delicious. If you want a quick read on good bourbons to buy check this out.
Bourbon fudge brownies sound good with nuts. What about nuts?
Yes you should definitely add a half cup of nuts if you like them. Pecans and bourbon, well I mean...do I even have to say it? They are best friends forever, so they would be absolutely the best addition. Walnuts too though, also would be great in this. I mean, you're eating bourbon and chocolate, anything and everything goes good in there.
Bourbon fudge brownies
Ingredients
- ½ cup semi or bittersweet chocolate chopped or use chocolate chips
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 stick of butter
- ½ tablespoon of vanilla extract
- ¼ cup of bourbon
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 2 eggs
- ¾ cup of flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 - that's right not, 350, these need to cook at a lower temperature than usual. Grease or butter an 8 inch square baking pan.
- Boil water in a saucepan, and place a bowl with the chopped chocolate over it to melt the chocolate. This method ensures the chocolate melts nicely and doesn't seize up or burn.
- Melt the butter in a good sized sauce pan. Remove from the heat and let it cool down for 10 minutes. Add the cocoa powder, melted chocolate, bourbon, vanilla, salt and sugar and mix well.
- Add the eggs, one at a time and stir with a wooden spoon to incorporate.
- Add the flour last and fold it in, just to combine. Note: if you are adding nuts, this would be where you would add them - with the flour.
- Do not use a whisk or a stand or hand held mixer for this recipe. By hand and gently only.
- Bake on the middle rack for about 35 minutes. Here is the thing with brownies to achieve max fudginess...they might look not totally done, the center might be a little jiggly. That is ok, they will continue to cook slightly when you take them out. My biggest tip for this is to cook for exactly 35 minutes, after 35 minutes, shut the oven off, crack it open and let them sit in there to come down to temp for 25 minutes. Then remove from oven and cool on a wire rack completely.
