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 monosaturated 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!
Deflating the whipped eggs and sugar with a whisk helps keeps them fudgy
These were delicious, never making regular brownies again! I made a couple of adjustments: - used 2.5 tsp of espresso powder instead of granules - used 50g less sugar (a mix of dark brown and granulated), sweetness was perfect for me - used 1/2 tsp of pre ground cardamom - I only had a smaller 7x7 inch pan so the brownies had to bake for ~45 min (at 180 C°, conventional oven setting) and came out tall but with great texture I froze half after letting them cool and they’re even better from the freezer, they don’t even really have to defrost. Highly recommend!
My daughter made these for me for Mother's Day. These are among my top favorite brownies ever. They rose high but retained a density that prevented them from seeming cakey. Although I couldn't specifically taste the spices, I could taste more than merely coffee and chocolate, and I think that was due to the spices. It was a subtle use of spices that was new to me. I loved the bitterness of the coffee against the chocolate. My daughter added chocolate chips, which I recommend. 5 stars.