Brownies made of chocolate and stout make a great finish to an Irish meal. (iStockphoto)
U sually, I like my beer in a glass and my chocolate in a bar, but when it comes to celebrating St. Patrick's Day, I see no harm in making exceptions. A big bite of these Guinness-spiked brownies are just about the best reason I know of for becoming Irish for a day.
This recipe is from a well-worn cookbook, "The New Irish Table," by Margaret M. Johnson, which has beautiful pictures of Ireland accompanied by great recipes.
Johnson is a noted cookbook author, and I've found her contemporary Irish recipes go well beyond the better-known and mostly boring colcannon and cabbage stew. In fact, I turn to this book often for crab cakes and potato leek soup, which combine new takes on Old World ingredients.
These brownies, so named for Grace Neill's bar in Ireland, which is the oldest bar in that country, are dense and delicious. The chocolate and stout are so compatible, and I find when I make a batch they never last longer than a day.
So celebrate St. Paddy's on Tuesday with a pint of stout and a brownie. OK, and some corned beef and cabbage for starters, if you must.
Grace Neill's Chocolate Guinness Brownies
Recipe from "The New Irish Table," by Margaret M. Johnson. Guinness stout comes in cans and bottles. You can usually buy single bottles of stout at markets such as Holiday in Royal Oak, Trader Joe's (all locations) or ask at your favorite beverages store. Measure out what you need and drink the rest.
4 eggs
3/4 cup superfine sugar
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
4 ounces white chocolate, chopped
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1 1/4 cups Guinness stout
Confectioner's sugar for dusting
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter and 8-by-8-inch square pan. Combine eggs and sugar and beat with electric mixer until light and fluffy. In medium saucepan, over medium heat, melt the chocolates and butter, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and beat into the egg mixture.
Sift the flour and cocoa together and beat into the chocolate mixture. Whisk in the Guinness.
Pour into prepared pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out almost clean. Remove from oven and let cool on wire rack. To serve, dust with confectioner's sugar and cut into squares.
Serves 8.
Be sure to come back Wednesday's Eats & Drinks for more of Kate Lawson's Simply the Best recipes only in the Detroit News. To reach Kate Lawson, call (313) 222-6026 or klawson@detnews.com">klawson@detnews.com.
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