Mexican Brownies with a Kick !

If you guys have been following my Facebook page , my current fascination with Mexican cuisine would not have escaped your notice. I have been giving hints in my posts , so it should not come as no surprise that my next bake would be inspired by Mexican flavors, Normally, I devote a fair amount of time researching my future bake but this particular one was a easy choice to make . My son had been requesting brownies for quite some time now , so when I came across this recipe , knew had to give it a try . It would solve a dual purpose -cater to my son's request and fulfill my current fascination with all things Mexican. As usual, I adapted the recipe ..basically to cut down on the calories ..we still are very much into healthy start to the New Year thingy .

The original recipe called for 3/4 cup of butter..I used 1/2 cup ..they came out reasonably moist but if you guys want them to be really soft and gooey , please feel free to add more butter. I also took the liberty of cutting down on the sugar  from 2 cups to 1 cup...they were the right sweetness for our family but I understand that individual preferences vary...if you are indulging your sweet tooth, by all means go for 2 cups . The other variation from the original recipe is that instead of the microwave, I used stove top to melt the chocolate and butter. It is just by preference..stove top melting gives a consistent texture in my opinion but yes one has  to be careful and keep it on reduced flame , stirring continuously.

Ingredients -

4 oz Unsweetened chocolate 

1/2 cup butter (original recipe calls for 3/4 cup)

1 1/2 cup sugar (  I used 1 cup only)

3 eggs slightly beaten

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder

1/4 tsp cayenne powder or red pepper powder

1 cup all purpose flour

Popping these two ingredients out - ground cinnamon and cayenne powder .  They will be combining with the chocolate to give the brownies to give the characteristic kick to the brownies. They are also solely responsible for giving these brownies their name. In fact , if you do not have to bake from scratch , just get a brownie mix and add these ingredients. Again, you can reduce the quantity of cayenne pepper to adjust how much kick you want out of these brownies.

Method-

Pre heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Grease a baking dish and sprinkle it with either cocoa powder or line with parchment paper to avoid sticking to the bottom of the dish.

Melt the butter and chocolate on low flame stirring continuously till it forms a smooth paste.

Remove from flame and now add the sugar and mix it together.

Now, take the three beaten eggs along with the vanilla and stir it in. Make sure they mix well but do not go overboard about it .

Finally , add the ground cinnamon and red pepper followed by the flour. Fold it well .

Pour the batter into the greased baking dish and keep it in the oven for 30-35 minutes. Check for "done ness" by inserting a tooth pick. Unlike a cake, it should come out with fudgy crumbs . Take care as to not overbake.

Cool on a wire cooling rack, remove from baking dish and cut into desired shapes before serving. I was in the mood for some diamond shaped ones.