Recipe: Chile Chocolate Brownies with Mocha-Chipotle Glaze

CHILE CHOCOLATE BROWNIES

FOR THE BROWNIES:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
2 cups sugar
4 eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons ancho chile powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped and toasted pecans (optional)

FOR THE GLAZE:
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
2 tablespoon cocoa powder
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon coffee-flavored liqueur
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon chipotle chile powder

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a 9x9x2-inch baking pan.

Place the butter and chocolate in the top of a double boiler and heat over low heat, stirring occasionally, until they have melted and are well combined. Lift the bowl carefully from the pan so no water droplets come into contact with the chocolate mixture; let cool for 5 minutes and transfer to a large bowl.

Stir in the sugar; add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; stir in the 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla; set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, ancho chile powder, and salt; gradually add the dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture, beating well until fully combined. Add the pecans. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the center is set and the brownies begin to pull back from the sides of the pan. Cool brownies for 1 hour in the pan.

TO MAKE THE GLAZE:
In a medium bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder, butter, liqueur, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and chipotle chile powder; blend until smooth.

Place the glaze in a pastry bag (or zip-top bag with a snipped corner), and drizzle back and forth over the cooled brownies. Cut them into 20 bars.

Makes 20 brownies
Source: The New Southern-Latino Table by Sandra A. Gutierrez