Red Wine Brownies

 

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate (60%) , chopped
• 1 1/2 cups light or medium brown sugar
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup red wine

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line an 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper or oil. 
2. In a small saucepan over low heat (or bain marie), melt the butter. Once melted, add in chopped chocolate, stirring constantly until the chocolate is melted completely. 
3. In a standing mixer with a whisk attachment, add in brown sugar. Slowly pour melted chocolate mixture into brown sugar with the mixer running on medium speed. Add in eggs, one at a time, with the mixer still on. Beat for 30 seconds, until the color of the batter lightens a bit. 
4. Turn the mixture to low and add in cocoa powder, flour, salt, vanilla extract, and wine, beating for an additional 30 seconds. 
5. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for roughly 40 mins, or until a knife inserted in the center of the brownies comes out mostly clean. 

Notes

• I like to add about a half cup of milk chocolate chips just to soften the bitterness of both the bar and the cocoa. I also like to double the recipe and bake it for the same amount of time in a 9x13 pan, then dusted with powdered sugar. These are supposed to be a little wet and very fudgy. 
• For the red wine, pick something to match with the bittersweet chocolate like a Cabernet Sauvignon or Zinfandel.