I love mailing goodies to people who aren’t expecting them (which I did on Monday as a thank you for a favor), and this Bon Appétit recipe for mocha brownies is one of my tried and true favorites, whether for general snacking, parties, or to send in the mail (they've made it to California perfectly intact). The brownies are rich and super moist and the recipe is forgiving to alterations (see below), which is handy when you’re cooking on the fly (i.e., missing an ingredient) or with a little one who might spill a little flour here and there. And best of all? While most brownie recipes call for 8” or 9” square pans, this recipe fills a 9” x 13” pan, meaning that one batch will yield plenty to gift, plus some extra for home.
My recommendations/notes:
Use semisweet chocolate chips; it saves on having to chop bars or large squares of chocolate.
You can skip the espresso powder if you’re serving the brownies to kids.
In a pinch, the sour cream can be subbed with plain or vanilla yogurt (which I did this week since we normally don’t have sour cream in the fridge) or I’ve even used applesauce.
If you need a lot of brownies, this recipe doubles easily, or you can do a batch and a half across one 9” x 13” pan + one 8” square pan.
If you want to omit the nuts due to allergy concerns or general preference, sub in the volume with regular or white chocolate chips for an extra chocolate-y experience. Or if you like peanut butter but don't like raw nuts in brownies, be super brilliant and sub in peanut butter chips.
This is a great and easy recipe to involve kids in, whether it’s measuring or mixing!
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Image credit: Bon Appétit (at Epicurious)
