Corcoran Street Kitchen: Black and Tan Brownies

These brownies are beyond excessive. Beyond. My very good friend Josh made a special recipe request when he saw a similar brownie being sold for like a zillion dollars at some fancy schmancy bakery. I did my very best to create it for him Corcoran Street Kitchen style. Of course a black and tan in a pint glass of half Guinness (black) topped with half Harp (tan). The idea of this recipe is a Guinness chocolate brownie, butterscotch Harp frosting, and topped with the bar snack that you'd be chopping on while you enjoy your black and tan. It works. Guinness is a deep, rich stout that brings out the chocolate flavors and intensifies them. You don't taste beer in the brownies - they just taste intensely chocolate. The butterscotch frosting, however, is my new greatest accomplishment in the kitchen. It is heavenly. Light, but super rich with that silky butterscotch flavor. I will be making this frosting for tons of things in the future. I'll swap out the Harp for milk if I am making it for little ones. But with the brownies, the malty Harp adds the perfect balance to the sweet frosting. You do not need a big piece of brownie because they are super rich. These brownies are fun to serve and amazing to eat. They are not terribly difficult to make and people will love you for them. And isn't that the whole point of baking for your friends anyway?

Black and Tan Brownies
Ingredients:
Guinness Brownies:
2/3 cup flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
pinch salt
4 Tbs. butter
6 oz. 60% dark cacao chocolate chips
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 eggs
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup Guinness beer
2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Butterscotch Frosting:
4 Tbs. butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup heavy cream
3-4 Tbs. Harp beer
2 1/2 cups confectioner sugar
1 cup thin pretzels

1. To make the brownies, combine flour, cocoa powder, and a pinch of salt in a bowl and whisk to combine thoroughly.

2. Put dark and semi-sweet chips into a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for 1 minute. Remove and stir. Nuke for another 1 minute. Remove, add butter, and stir again. Nuke for 1 more minute and it should be silky smooth.

3. Beat the eggs and sugar together until smooth.
4. Add the melted chocolate to the eggs and beat until well combined.
5. Slowly beat in the flour mixture and the Guinness, alternate adding a few tablespoons of each so that they mix in evenly.

You don't want to over mix the flour so your batter can be slightly lumpy.

6. Fold in the remaining whole semi-sweet chips until evenly distributed.

7. Line a 9x9 baking pan with waxed paper and spray with non-stick spray.

8. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes, or until the brownies are just set. You do not want to over bake. It's better to be a bit squidgy rather than dry.

9. To make the butterscotch frosting, melt butter and sugar together in a heavy-bottom pot over medium heat. Cook together for 4 minutes.

10. Add the heavy cream and continue to cook for another 2 minutes.

11. Allow to cook for 5 minutes. Put the confectioner sugar into the bowl of your mixer, fitted with the whisk and add the cooled butterscotch.
12. Whisk together and add the Bass beer until well combined.

The frosting will seem to be on the thin side because it is still quite warm. When it cools, it will thicken significantly.

13. Refrigerate for 20 minutes and return to the whisk. Now it will whip up and be creamy and thick. Allow to whip for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.

14. Spread evenly over the fully cooled brownies.

15. When you are ready to serve, slightly crush pretzels. You don't want to put them onto the brownies too early because they will loose some of their crunch if they sit on the frosting for too long.