Cookbook:Oatmeal Stout Brownies

Oatmeal Stout Brownies
Category	Dessert recipes
Servings	About 18–24
Time	60 minutes
Difficulty

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This recipe, created by Joe Stutler, was a national finalist in the 2006 Cooking With Beer Challenge. The malt and oats in the beer enhance the flavor of the chocolate in these delicious brownies. Not overly cake-ey, not overly fudge-ey, the texture is nicely balanced. They're also decadently chocolate, and surprisingly light (thanks to the eggs). Great with a fruity beer, such as a lambic (Framboise, yum!).

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted room temperature butter, cut into cubes
• 8 ounces dark bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• ¾ cup white chocolate chips
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 ½ cup superfine or granulated sugar
• 1 ¼ cups (10 ounces) oatmeal stout beer (room temperature)
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• ⅓ cup superfine or granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg

Procedure

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with nonstick foil (or grease and flour, or parchment paper…your call).
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, and salt until evenly combined. Set aside.
3. Melt butter, bittersweet chocolate, and white chocolate chips in a double-boiler over very low heat, stirring constantly until melted. Remove from heat.
4. In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add melted chocolate mixture, beating until combined.
5. Beat reserved flour mixture into melted chocolate mixture. Whisk in stout beer. The batter will seem a bit thin. Pour into prepared baking pan. Drop semisweet chocolate chips evenly on top of batter (some will sink in).
6. Beat cream cheese in medium bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Gradually beat in sugar. Beat in vanilla and 1 egg just until blended.
7. Pour cream cheese mixture over brownie batter in pan; cut through mixture with knife several times for marbled design.
8. Bake for 25–35 minutes on center rack in the oven, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean.
9. Let brownies cool, uncovered, to room temperature. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving if desired.

Notes, tips, and variations

• Makes 18 (2x3 inch) to 24 (2x2 inch) brownies. For finger-food/snack portions you could halve these dimensions to get 36–48 brownies.
• Plating suggestion: swirl a raspberry lambic reduction sauce (12 oz lambic reduced to half, 4–6 oz seedless raspberry purée, 2–4 oz turbinado sugar, ½–1 teaspoon cornstarch) on the plate; garnish with mint leaves, raspberries, and lemon zest.