Spicy Brownies? Yes, especially for Valentine’s Day. February 14 and chocolate are a match made in heaven, just like you and your sweetie. At the Spice Tin, we occasionally like to heat things up a bit, especially when it comes to love. Mole Spice kicks this traditional brownie up a notch and Indonesian Cinnamon lends warm, fragrant spice. Topping the brownies with an ample sprinkling of our pink Raspberry Chipotle Finishing Salt adds bright, fruity heat and a pop of seasonal color. For those who like a hotter variation, add a pinch of cayenne to the recipe.
This recipe is based on the Crinkle Top Brownies by Half Baked Harvest. We halved it so it’s easily sharable for two, and gave it our Spice Tin Treatment. The result is a chocolatey, fudgey brownie with an unexpected kiss of heat.
Local Wine Pairings
This Valentine’s Day, we are proud to partner with two excellent local wineries, Milliare Winery and Indian Rock Vineyards. Both of these distinct wines pairs beautifully with our Spicy Brownies. Visit either winery to receive a 10% off coupon for Spice Tin spices when you purchase one of these wines!
Milliaire Winery’s 2017 Robert’s Cuvée Late Harvest Zin ($30)
Tasting Notes: “Sugar, spice and everything nice – that’s what Robert’s Cuvée is made of! Named after our son who was born during the harvest of these grapes, this Zin is a confection of blackberry jam and light pepper.”
Indian Rock Vineyard’s 2015 ‘Ruby’ Dessert Wine ($25)
Tasting Notes: “This port-style dessert wine is made from 100% estate grown Barbera and Merlot. Dark cherry, cocoa and raspberry on the nose melts deliciously into a chocolatey, almost fudgey mid-palate with notes of ripe blackberry.”
Ingredients
- 1 stick unsalted butter (1/2 cup)
- 1 cup chocolate chips, divided
- 3/4 c. granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp coffee granules
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
- 1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp mole spice
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 Tbsp raspberry chipotle finishing salt
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease and line an 8×8 inch pan with parchment paper.
- Melt together the butter and 3/4 cup of the chocolate chips until melted and smooth. Pour into a medium bowl so it cools faster and cool to room temp. Stir in the sugar, vanilla and instant coffee.
- In a small bowl whisk the eggs for 1 minute until frothy. Stir the eggs into the cooled chocolate mixture.
- Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, kosher salt, mole spice and cinnamon. Stir into the wet ingredients until just combined. Don’t overmix.. Stir in the remaining chocolate chips.
- Evenly spread the mixture into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the brownies are just set. Immediately after they come out of the oven, sprinkle all over with raspberry chipotle finishing salt.