Brownie Pudding

 

Ingredients

• 1 cup (8 oz.) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly, plus more for buttering dish

• 3/4 cup Dutch process cocoa powder

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

• 2 tsp. espresso powder or instant espresso granules

• 4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

• 2 cups granulated sugar

• 2 tsp. vanilla extract

• 1 Tbsp. coffee liqueur, such as Kahlua (optional)

• Hot water, for water bath 

• Vanilla or coffee-flavored ice cream, for serving

Directions

1. Prepare the dish:

   Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease a 2-quart baking dish with butter. 

2. Combine the dry ingredients:

   Sift the cocoa powder and flour together into a medium-sized bowl. Add the kosher salt and espresso powder to the bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside. 

Whip the eggs and sugar:

Add the eggs and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip on medium-high speed for 10 minutes; the mixture will be pale, thickened, and voluminous. Add the vanilla extract and coffee liqueur, if using, and mix briefly to combine. 

Gradually add the dry ingredients:

With the mixer running on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture to the egg mixture, one spoonful at a time, stopping the mixer once the last spoonful has been incorporated into the batter. Be careful not to overmix. 

Slowly add the melted butter to the batter:

Return the mixer to low speed and carefully pour the melted butter into the batter in a slow, steady stream, mixing only until just combined. 

Bake the pudding in a water bath:

Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish. Next, place the baking dish in a larger baking pan (we used a roasting pan) and fill the pan with hot water until the water reaches halfway up the sides of the baking dish.

arefully transfer the pan to the center rack of the oven and bake for 60 minutes. The top will be set with a matte appearance, and underneath will appear to be very under-baked

That's okay! Remember, this is a gooey pudding dessert, not a pan of brownies. Carefully remove the baking dish from the water-filled pan and allow to cool completely before serving. For a firmer pudding, allow to cool in the fridge. Best enjoyed with a scoop of vanilla or coffee-flavored ice cream!