Kahlua Brownie Kisses

Receiving the motivation I needed a few weeks back, I've kicked myself into the holiday spirit.  According to Liv, there are moms out there (and apparently I wasn't one of them..) who allegedly make the holidays super fun with their sheer joy in everything holiday.  Well... starting with Halloween I've been working on my attitude.  We had Halloween decorations and desserts to share, and then moved smoothly into Thanksgiving with family and friends and a home filled with fabulous food cheer.

Click for Homemade Kahlua recipe

Transitioning to the somewhat shortened Christmas season, I'm hereby making the most of these few short weeks with the house sporting its holiday finest, spirited baking adventures in the kitchen and gift wrapping already in progress.

I have to admit that the gift planning part is one of my favorite activities of the holiday season, and finding that perfect gift for those I'm thankful to have in my life truly brings joy to my heart. 

And now, I have these fabulous Kahlua Brownie Kisses featuring a splash of this year's fresh batch of Homemade Kahlua.  Rich, chocolaty and somewhat irresistible, these little kisses are the perfect treat for a holiday get together or a last minute hostess gift.  See below for the recipe.

A wonderful way to share a taste of holiday cheer, these ultra luscious and Kahlua laced ganache brings a lovely topping to these rich, fudgy brownies.  Easy to make and a definitely a chocolate lover's dream, these kisses make a fabulous addition to any holiday platter and will bring a smile to the face of someone special.

Kahlua Brownie Kisses
The description of these brownies on Fine Cooking mentions the richness, and therefore suggests cutting into small pieces.  I completely agree on the small pieces as it makes me feel less guilty as I reach for seconds!  Don't have Kahlua?  You can make your own with our Homemade Kahlua Recipe.
Adapted from Fine Cooking
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Brownies:
2 cups (9 oz.) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups (3/4 lb) unsalted butter
1 cup (3 oz.) unsweetened natural cocoa powder (not Dutch-processed)
3 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs
2 tsp freshly ground espresso beans
2 Tbs Kahlua or coffee flavored liquor (Or sub 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract)

Ganache:
1/2 cup whipping cream

5 1/2 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped 

1/4 tsp vanilla extract  

2-3 Tbs Kahlua or coffee liquor

Tip:

For the best results, measure your flour by weight instead of volume. (1 cup of all-purpose flour equals 4-1/2 oz.) If you don’t have a scale, be sure to use the proper technique when filling your measuring cups.

For the Brownies:

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 325° F.  Line a 9x13 baking pan with foil, allowing the edges to hang over the edge of the pan for easy removal.  Lightly grease the bottom and sides of the foil.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt to blend.

In a large pan over medium heat, melt the butter, stirring occasionally.  Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the cocoa powder until smooth.  Whisk in the brown sugar until blended.  One at a time, add 3 of the eggs, whisking until just blended.  With the last egg, whisk in the coffee liquer and 2 tsp ground espresso beans.

Add the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture, stirring until just blended.  Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly.

Place into the oven and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few small, moist clumps sticking to it, about 30 minutes. (Don't overbake, or the squares won't be fudgy).  Transfer the pan to a rack to let cool completely.  Gently pulling on the foil "handles" remove the brownies from the pan.  Peel the foil away from the brownies and place on a cutting board that is larger than the brownies.

For the topping:
Bring cream to a simmer in heavy small saucepan. Remove from heat.  Add chocolate and whisk until smooth. Whisk in 1/4 tsp vanilla and Kahlua.  Refrigerate until thick enough to spread, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes. 

Spread topping over brownies. Refrigerate until topping is cold, about 1 hour.

Remove from oven and using a hot knife, carefully cut the brownies into squares.  Let brownies stand at room temperature 30 minutes before serving.  Enjoy!!