Brownies With Coffee and Cardamom
Updated October 10, 2023
Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Mariana Velasquez.
- Total Time
- 1 hour
- Prep Time
- 5 minutes
- Cook Time
- 55 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
¾ cup/170 grams unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
7 ounces/200 grams semi-sweet chocolate, cut into large chunks, or chips
4 ½ teaspoons instant espresso coffee granules
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon ground green cardamom, from the seeds of 6 to 9 pods (see Tip)
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
3 large eggs
½ cup/100 grams granulated sugar
½ cup/100 grams light brown sugar
⅔ cup/85 grams all-purpose flour
Nutritional analysis per serving
44 grams carbs; 103 milligrams cholesterol; 387 calories; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 14 grams saturated fat; 24 grams fat; 2 grams fiber; 161 milligrams sodium; 4 grams protein; 34 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan with butter and line it with a sheet of parchment paper with a little overhang on two sides.
- Step 2
Melt the butter and chocolate in a medium pot over low heat, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. (Alternatively, you can also melt the butter and chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave, stirring at 15 second intervals, until melted.) Add the coffee granules, vanilla, cardamom, cinnamon and salt and stir to combine.
- Step 3
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the eggs and both sugars and beat on high speed until the mixture looks pale, thick and creamy, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Step 4
Using a large metal spoon or a spatula, fold the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture by gently scooping up some egg mixture from the bottom and folding it over the chocolate at the top until fully combined.
- Step 5
Fold in the flour until you no longer see flecks of flour, making sure not to overmix.
- Step 6
Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and use a spatula to spread it into an even layer. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs, 30 to 35 minutes. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack for 1 hour before using the parchment overhang to remove from the pan.
Using freshly ground green cardamom will ensure a bold cardamom flavor. To do so, remove the seeds from the cardamom pods and crush them with a mortar and pestle or a rolling pin until well ground.
Private Notes
Comments
Green cardamom pods are "regular" cardamom as opposed to the black pods which have a smoky taste. The seeds of the green cardamom pods are brown, so when they are ground you get "regular" cardamom spice. It loses its flavor pretty quickly though, so I would use 1/4 tsp if it's really fresh, as in the recipe, otherwise maybe 1/2 tsp or more.
I buy sealed packets of instant espresso (I buy Len's Coffee, my sister uses Starbucks) that I keep on hand for any chocolate dessert I make. These are invaluable and convenient.
Made these yesterday to gift to our vet for taking care of our pup; I was a little heavy-handed with the spices, which I probably wouldn't have done again, but these were a lovely take on your classic brownie, with more depth and complexity than usual. Highly recommend!
Yummo! My amendments: Used 1/2 c butter and 1/4 plant-based butter Used 75 g each white sugar and brown sugar Used about 1 tsp of espresso powder Used about 1 tsp of cardamom Used all dark chocolate chips There were some flecks of flour in the baked brownies, but I’d rather have that than over mixing the batter.
I can't get over how delicious these are. Grinding the seeds from the cardamom pods makes a world of difference. I used a Starbucks instant "Via" packet instead of the 4 tsp of espresso powder. I recommend sifting the flour. My flour had a few small clumps which I hesitated beating in too vigorously for fear of deflating the delicate whipped-egg batter.
Other than subbing gluten free baking mix for the flour, made these just as written. They fell apart when coming out of the pan. They were delicious. I was able to salvage enough for my three dinner guests. What did I do wrong?