Mexican Hot Chocolate Brownies with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

I know what you’re thinking… enough with the Mexican chocolate and the cinnamon! Didn’t we just see cupcakes that are exactly like these, but upside down, inside-out, inverted?

Wait… are you thinking that?

Really?

Do you need to see another picture of the brownies?

See? I mean… similar cupcakes notwithstanding, these brownies are pretty freaking amazing. They are a play on the Andes cocoa brownies that I posted a while ago, before most of you were even reading this blog They have the same rich, fudgy texture, the same cocoa-powered intensity. AND, since they are cocoa-based, the added spices (our old favorites: cinnamon, cayenne, and chili powder) really create a comforting, hot-chocolate taste that you couldn’t get by using a brownie recipe based on melted chocolate.

A word of warning — these brownies are intensely flavorful. They don’t joke around. If you’re squeamish about spicy baked goods (if you are, I’m honestly not sure why you’re still sticking around this blog… either you really like us or you’re just that stubborn), you can use half the spices and still end up with a just a hint of spicy goodness. Keep the spicing my way, and you’ll end up with some brownies that really pack a punch (a flavor punch, not a hot-n-spicy punch, if you’re worried about that). The frosting is the same way — tangy and sweet, it just won’t be outmatched by the brownies in terms of flavor. But the creaminess of the frosting marries beautifully with the fudginess of the brownies, and the whole package becomes a soul-satisfying indulgence.

I was worried that the intense flavor would put people off, but either I’m exaggerating the strength of the spicing or don’t know my audience well enough. Everyone who tried them loved them, and when I put them out at work, all I heard was an “Oh my gawd…” from the kitchen as a colleague took her first bite. Try them! You might surprise yourself with how much you enjoy the spicy chocolate & cinnamon combination.

And I promise… I’m experimenting with other flavor profiles now. Caramel. Flourless chocolate cake. Probably some more peanut butter. Definitely berries for spring and summer. Plantains… that’s right, even plantains. All of these will be coming to you soon, and if you need to forget that I ever went through a Mexican hot chocolate phase, you’ll be able to do so. Promise.

Mexican Hot Chocolate Brownies

Adapted from myself, originally adapted from smitten kitchen, who adapted from Alice Mendrich’s Bittersweet

Makes 16 larger or 25 smaller brownies

Ingredients

• ½  cup all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¾ teaspoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 ¼ cups sugar
• ¾  cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-process)
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½  teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs, cold
• 2/3 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F. Line the bottom and sides of an 8×8-inch square baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides.

Whisk together flour and spices.

Combine the butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt in a medium heatproof bowl and set the bowl above a saucepan holding about and inch of barely simmering water. Stir from time to time until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth and hot enough that you want to remove your finger fairly quickly after dipping it in to test. Remove the bowl from the saucepan and set aside briefly until the mixture is only warm, not hot. It looks gritty at this point, but don’t worry — it smoothes out once the eggs and flour are added.

Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously after each one. When the batter looks thick, shiny, and well blended, add the flour and spice mixture and stir until you cannot see them any longer, then beat vigorously for 40 strokes with the wooden spoon or a rubber spatula (it’s thick at this point, just keep stirring…). Fold in the chocolate chips, if using. Spread evenly in the lined pan.

Bake until a toothpick plunged into the center emerges slightly moist with batter, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely on a rack before frosting.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup confectioners sugar (more if needed)
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla with an electric mixer at high speed until fluffy. Sift confectioners sugar and cinnamon over cream cheese mixture, then beat at medium speed until incorporated. If the frosting is too thick, you can add warm water, a tablespoon at a time, until it’s the right texture. If the frosting is too thin, add more powdered sugar, a ¼ cup at a time, until it’s thick enough.

When the brownies are cool, lift up the ends of the foil liner, and transfer the brownies to a cutting board. Spread frosting over top of cooled brownies. Cut into 16 or 25 squares.

Tagged as: brownies, chocolate, cream cheese