Cookbook:Oatmeal Stout Brownies

| Dessert

This recipe, created by Joe Stutler, was a national finalist in the 2006 Cooking With Beer Challenge. The malt and oats in the beer enhance the flavor of the chocolate in these delicious brownies. Not overly cake-ey, not overly fudge-ey, the texture is nicely balanced. They're also decadently chocolate, and surprisingly light (thanks to the eggs). Great with a fruity beer, such as a lambic (Framboise, yum!).

Ingredients

 * 1 cup all-purpose flour
 * ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
 * ¼ teaspoon salt
 * 6 tablespoons unsalted room temperature butter, cut into cubes
 * 8 ounces dark bittersweet chocolate, chopped
 * ¾ cup white chocolate chips
 * 4 large eggs, at room temperature
 * 1 ½ cup superfine or granulated sugar
 * 1 ¼ cups (10 ounces) oatmeal stout beer (room temperature)
 * 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips


 * 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
 * ⅓ cup superfine or granulated sugar
 * ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
 * 1 large egg

Procedure

 * 1) Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with nonstick foil (or grease and flour, or parchment paper…your call).
 * 2) In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, and salt until evenly combined. Set aside.
 * 3) Melt butter, bittersweet chocolate, and white chocolate chips in a double-boiler over very low heat, stirring constantly until melted. Remove from heat.
 * 4) In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add melted chocolate mixture, beating until combined.
 * 5) Beat reserved flour mixture into melted chocolate mixture. Whisk in stout beer. The batter will seem a bit thin. Pour into prepared baking pan. Drop semisweet chocolate chips evenly on top of batter (some will sink in).
 * 6) Beat cream cheese in medium bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Gradually beat in sugar. Beat in vanilla and 1 egg just until blended.
 * 7) Pour cream cheese mixture over brownie batter in pan; cut through mixture with knife several times for marbled design.
 * 8) Bake for 25–35 minutes on center rack in the oven, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean.
 * 9) Let brownies cool, uncovered, to room temperature. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving if desired.

Notes, tips, and variations

 * Makes 18 (2x3 inch) to 24 (2x2 inch) brownies. For finger-food/snack portions you could halve these dimensions to get 36–48 brownies.
 * Plating suggestion: swirl a raspberry lambic reduction sauce (12 oz lambic reduced to half, 4–6 oz seedless raspberry purée, 2–4 oz turbinado sugar, ½–1 teaspoon cornstarch) on the plate; garnish with mint leaves, raspberries, and lemon zest.