Heart Mocha Brownies with Bourbon White Chocolate Ganache

12 February, 2014 / by Hank Watson

Heart Mocha Brownies with Bourbon White Chocolate Ganache

12 February, 2014
/ in Cookin' with Alcohol, Desserts, Holiday Entertaining, Jeese James Bourbon
/ By Hank Watson
/ No Comments

Mocha brownies. Chocolate. Bourbon. White Chocolate. Ganache.

It’s the stuff dreams and Valentine’s Day are made of. Since I’m on an anti-Valentine’s kick, I thought I’d make an effort to embrace it for the sake of others. This is my good deed for the day.

I mean, how hard can it be? Brownies. You just can’t be grumpy with brownies. Make them a little mocha-ie to change them up a bit. Cut them into hearts (I promise, I resisted the urge to make them broken hearts!). Bourbon. My mood is rapidly improving! White chocolate. I often say I’d eat a paper plate that has cheese melted on it. I feel the same way about white chocolate. Bourbon white chocolate ganache!!!!!  Yes, coat the dreaded hearts in bourbon white chocolate ganache!!!  If I wasn’t already me, I’d marry me for this idea. Hell, I think I’m going to task my personal mixologist, David Gano, with creating a drink that tastes like these. The man worked magic with my Almond Lemon Lavender Cookies; I think he can swing this one!

 

Heart Mocha Brownies with Bourbon White Chocolate Ganache

Ingredients

4 oz unsweetened bar chocolate
3/4 cup butter
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
3 Tbs espresso powder
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup white chocolate chips (or whatever flavor you prefer)

Directions

Prepare 9 x 9 baking pan (I use spray for baking). Sprinkle a little extra espresso powder and cocoa powder in bottom of pan. Preheat over to 350. In large bowl, combine sugars. Set aside. Place butter and chocolate (broken into pieces) into medium, microwavable bowl. Heat 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between, for a minute total. Continue to stir until chocolate completely melts. Stir in vanilla. Pour into sugar mixture. Stir until combined.

****Note:  DO NOT use an electric mixer for brownies. *****  Add beaten eggs, and stir until well combined. Stir in espresso powder and flour (add flour a little at a time for ease of stirring). Fold in white chocolate chips. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes (until center is no longer liquid. It can be fudgy, but not liquid). Use heart shaped cookie cutter to cut out hearts.

Drizzle with slightly cooled ganache.

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Bourbon White Chocolate Ganache

Ingredients

8 oz bar white chocolate
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 Tbs butter
1 Tbs Jesse James Bourbon

Directions

In heavy medium saucepan, combine white chocolate, cream and butter and heat over low heat, stirring constantly and just until mixture is smooth. Stir in bourbon. Cool slightly and drizzle over brownies. In my continued effort to embrace Valentine’s Day, I added some red coloring to the ganache, although I considered black!

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