Cappuccino Brownies With White Chocolate Espresso Sauce Recipes

CAPPUCCINO BROWNIES WITH WHITE CHOCOLATE-ESPRESSO SAUCE

Steps:

• For sauce:
• Bring cream and espresso beans to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Cover, remove from heat and let steep 30 minutes. Strain into heavy small saucepan. Add chocolate; stir over low heat until smooth. Add nutmeg. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Before using, stir over low heat just until melted.)
• For Brownies:
• Position rack in lowest third of oven and preheat to 350°F. Line 9-inch square baking pan with 2-inch-high sides with foil, overlapping sides. Butter and flour foil. Stir first 4 ingredients in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until smooth. Cool slightly. Whisk in 1 1/2 cups sugar and eggs. Stir in flour, then chopped bittersweet chocolate and nuts. Transfer to prepared pan. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 30 minutes. Cool on rack. (Can be made 8 hours ahead.)
• Using foil sides as aid, lift brownie from pan. Fold down foil sides. Using 3 1/4-inch round cookie cutter, cut out 4 rounds (reserve scraps for another use).
• Place 1 brownie on each plate. Cover with chocolate curls. Spoon warm sauce around brownies. Sift sugar over.

CAPPUCCINO BROWNIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. and butter and flour an 8-inch square baking pan, knocking out excess flour.
• Make brownie layer:
• In a heavy 1 1/2-quart saucepan melt chocolate and butter with espresso mixture over low heat, stirring, until smooth and remove pan from heat. Cool mixture to lukewarm and whisk in sugar and vanilla. Add eggs, 1 at a time, whisking well until mixture is glossy and smooth. Stir in flour and salt until just combined and stir in walnuts.
• Spread batter evenly in pan and bake in middle of oven 22 to 25 minutes, or until a tester comes out with crumbs adhering to it. Cool brownie layer completely in pan on a rack.
• Make cream cheese frosting:
• In a bowl with an electric mixer beat cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon and beat until combined well. Spread frosting evenly over brownie layer. Chill brownies 1 hour, or until frosting is firm.
• Make glaze:
• In a double boiler or metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water melt chocolate and butter with cream and espresso mixture, stirring, until smooth, and remove top of double boiler or bowl from heat. Cool glaze to room temperature.
• Spread glaze carefully over frosting. Chill brownies, covered, until cold, at least 3 hours.
• Cut chilled brownies into 24 squares and remove them from pan while still cold. Serve brownies cold or at room temperature. Brownies keep, covered and chilled, in one layer, 5 days.