Chocolate was embraced by the Aztec Indians as early as 350 BCE. They made fermented chocolate beverages with a corn puree, bitter drinks made without sugar. Cacao seeds were considered a gift of the gods in the Aztec culture and were even exchanged as currency. This recipe puts a flavorful twist on a popular cocoa-based dessert that dates from the late 1800s—the brownie. Made to be a packable treat for visitors to the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, recipes for brownies appear in US cookbooks shortly thereafter. This recipe includes Mexican cinnamon and chili powder, which adds flair to a classic chocolate brownie.
Recipe Servings: 10
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
Total Time
45 minutes
Vegetarian
Vegan
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Kosher
Halal
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup good-quality unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp ground Mexican cinnamon
- ¼ tsp pequin chili powder or cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp baking powder
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare a 9 x 13-inch baking pan, lining it with parchment with an overhang left on two sides.
- Press in the corners of the paper and lightly grease with butter.
- In a saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat, not allowing to boil.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly, then add the sugar, eggs and vanilla and stir with a wooden spoon until thoroughly combined.
- Add the cocoa, flour, cinnamon, chili powder, salt, and baking powder, and mix until completely smooth.
- In the prepared pan, spread the batter evenly.
- Bake for 20–25 minutes, until sides begin to pull away from pan. For more fudgy brownies, reduce time by a few minutes.
- Cool, then lift out of pan with the parchment and slice into squares.
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