Smoky Espresso Brownies: Indugence is an Understatement

One of the many perks working with delicious food is getting to create (and taste test) recipes like this one. We made a few different batches of brownies incorporating our smoky and sweet Bacon Donut Bonanza which really makes this recipe unique and stand out from the crowd. The zing from the espresso and smokiness from the spice blend really sets this chocolatey treat apart!

Here's what you need:

• ⅓ cup baking cocoa
• 1 ½ teaspoons instant espresso powder
• ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons boiling water (putting the water in a bowl and microwaving on high until boiling works perfectly)
• 1/4 cup Wayward Gourmet Bacon Donut Bonanza
• 1 cup chocolate chips (we prefer dark chocolate, but semi-sweet works just dandy)
• 3 eggs
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (we tried this with olive oil to see if we could increase the "healthiness" of this recipe. It worked just fine with no noticeable taste from the oil)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 ½ cups white or brown sugar
• 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, we prefer the unbleached variety
• ¾ teaspoon salt

Here's what you do:

1. Move oven rack to lowest setting and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.Spray 13 x 9 inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Whisk together espresso powder, boiling water and cocoa together in a large bowl until smooth. Add unsweetened chocolate chips, Bacon Donut Bonanza, whisk until incorporated. Whisk in oil and melted butter. Add eggs, and vanilla and continue to whisk until smooth. Finally whisk in sugar, flour and salt and stir with rubber spatula. Do your best not to eat the batter right from the bowl!

3. Pour batter into baking pan and bake 30 minutes. (May take up to 35 minutes. You can stick a toothpick in to see if batter sticks to determine if brownies need a minute or 2 longer to bake.)
4. Let brownies cool for 30 minutes or so before cutting (this is going to be a test of sheer will power.)
5. Top with hot fudge or your favorite ice cream (or both) and DEVOUR!

Let us know how it turned out, we love to see your creations on Instagram #WaywardGourmet and Twitter @WaywardGourmet. Send em to us and we'll post your deliciousness on our site. 

Cheers!