Peanut Butter and Espresso Frosting Brownies

I was craving some brownies today, so I made some. Thats all! Now make them and EAT them.

Brownies

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

2 tablespoons cocoa powder, sifted

1 tablespoon water

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon espresso powder

2 tablespoon butter

3 ounces dark chocolate, chopped fine

1 large egg

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Melt chocolate and butter in a microwave. Add the cocoa, water, vanilla and espresso. Whisk until smooth (no mixer needed here). Add egg, sugar and salt and stir until smooth.

Add the flour, baking powder and baking soda and mix until just combined. Place into a 8x8 inch pan that has been lined with aluminum foil sling. Grease the foil with soft butter. Scrape the batter into the pan and use wet hands to spread it out evenly to all corners.

If you want peanut butter brownies, here is what you do. Take some natural (or if you have the one that has sugar in it and additives, that is okay too) peanut butter and put blobs (say 1 tablespoon) on the surface of the brownies. Then take a butter knife and spread it around. Get the peanut butter and brownie batter to mix a little bit, but not too much that you can't tell difference between the batter and peanut butter. In the picture, I made half peanut butter and half regular (so that I can frost it with the espresso frosting).

Bake at 350 F for 15 to 18 minutes. The brownies will not look done. Toothpick should come out with wet batter clinging, but the side will look set. It is really important not to overbake brownies. It is better to under bake than over bake. The picture to the right is what they look like when baked.

Let the brownies sit at room temperature until warm and then put them into the fridge until cold and firm. Cut with a plastic knife is best, but you can also do it with greased kitchen knife. I like them from the fridge. They are super dense and chewy.

Frosting
2 tablespoons confectioner sugar
½ teaspoon espresso powder dissolved in 1 teaspoon milk (any fat)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, soft

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix with hand held mixer until creamy. Spread on brownies and store the brownies in the fridge.