Strawberry Kahlua Brownies

If you follow me on Facebook (which you should, if you don't) then you know my intention was to share this perfect Valentines Day recipe yesterday...on the actual day.

Well, I guess I ended up enjoying my day a little too much.  By the time it got down to doing the leg work of writing out the recipe it was late and I was opting between relaxing with a new bottle of wine or typing out a post.

Come on, say you'd choose the wine too.

My dedication to the blog may seem lacking, but once you've made these brownies, I'm hoping that all is forgiven!  These brownies are dense and fudgey.  Once hot out of the oven, they're topped with Kahlua and cream.  A creamy fresh strawberry buttercream is perfectly spread over the top and finished with some Kahlua ganache.

I love them!  I love the flavor combinations.  I love the textures.  It's my idea of a perfect romantic dessert; chocolate, strawberries, and BOOZE.  *Happy dance*

Strawberry Kahlua Brownies
adapted from Desserts by the Yard

-3/4 c. plus 2 Tbsp. AP flour
-1/4 tsp. salt
-1/2 c. freeze dried stawberries
-4 oz. unsalted butter, cubed
-1 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
-7 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
-2 large eggs
-1 c. sugar
-4 Tbsp. Kahlua
-2 Tbsp. heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 9x9 inch pan with parchment paper.  Coat evenly with a non-stick cooking spray.

Sift together flour and salt.  Add 1/2 c. freeze dried strawberries.  Set aside.

Melt butter, and chocolates in a microwave safe bowl at 50% power for about 2 minutes.  Stir after each 30 second interval.  Stir until chocolate is smooth.  Cool for about 10-15 minutes.

While your chocolate is cooling, in the bowl of a stand mixer beat eggs and sugar until they are fluffy.  Remove bowl from mixer and slowly hand whisk in chocolate mixture.  Fold in the flour and strawberries until no flour streaks remain.  Your batter will be very thick and sturdy.

Spread evenly into your prepared pan and bake for 22-25 minutes, turning pan halfway through.  A crust will form on the top, and a toothpick will NOT be clean because these are fudgey.  Remove and immediately poke holes all over the top with skewer, fork, etc...Combine Kahlua and cream and evenly pour over the top.

Cool completely before adding buttercream to the top.

Strawberry Buttercream
adapted from Confessions of a Tart

-2 egg whites
-1/2 c. sugar
-pinch of salt
-6 oz. unsalted butter, softened, cut into Tbsp. size pieces
-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
-4 oz. fresh strawberries

Puree strawberries in a food processor.  Run puree through a fine mesh sieve to remove seeds and set puree aside.

Add eggs, sugar, and pinch of salt to a heat-proof bowl and set over a pot of simmering water.  The water should not touch the bottom of your bowl.  Whisk constantly until the eggs and sugar are hot to the touch and you feel no sugar granules.  All the whisking should make the mixture white and bubbly looking.

Transfer your egg mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer with whisk attachment and whisk on high speed until stiff peaks form and they appear glossy.  Still on high speed, add butter one piece at a time, incorporate before adding another piece.  It may start to take on a curdled look, but keep whipping and it will become smooth.

Once smooth, change to a paddle attachment.  On a low speed, slowly add vanilla and strawberry puree.  Beat on a low speed until the buttercream starts to come together and appears smooth and creamy. Spread evenly over cooled brownies.  Place in the fridge.


Kahlua Ganache
adapted from the Joy of Baking

-4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
-4 Tbsp. heavy cream
-1 Tbsp. Kahlua

Bring heavy cream to low boil, stirring constantly.  Pour hot cream evenly over chocolate and let sit for 5 minutes.  Stir with a rubber spatula until smooth and shiny.  Add the Kahlua and stir to combine.

Remove brownies from fridge, remove from pan and cut into 16 squares (do not cut if spreading ganache over the entire pan).

I let my ganache sit for a few minutes and added to piping bags to create the hearts on the top.  You could opt for something easier by drizzling or spreading over the entire batch of brownies.  Let the ganache set up before serving.

Serve immediately or return to fridge until ready to serve.

Yummy. Yum. Yum.