Go Dairy Free | Espresso Brownies

Cate O'Malley, Just Baking - I had a craving for brownies the other day and remembered this tried-and-true recipe from Giada De Laurentiis. Taking a page, ahem, from the queen of semi-homemade, Sandra Lee, the base of Giada’s recipe uses a store-bought brownie mix. Given how rarely she does this, I’ll forgive her this one transgression … because the brownies are pretty delicious. The glaze is buttery, deep, and caffeinated all at once and a keeper in my book.

Nonstick vegetable oil cooking spray
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons espresso powder
1 (19.8-ounce) box brownie mix
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon dairy-free margarine

Preheat oven to 350° F. Spray a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with nonstick spray. Whisk 1/3 cup of water, oil, eggs, and 2 tablespoons espresso powder in a large bowl to blend. Add the brownie mix. Stir until well blended. Stir in the chocolate chips. Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 35 minutes. Cool completely.

Meanwhile, dissolve the remaining 2 teaspoons of espresso powder in the remaining 2 tablespoons of water in a medium bowl. Whisk in the vanilla. Add the powdered sugar and butter and whisk until smooth. Pour the glaze over the brownies. Refrigerate until the glaze is set. Cut into bite-size pieces. Arrange the brownies on a platter and serve.

	09-03-2009 13:57
	I found this: "If you are unable to get instant espresso powder and a recipe you are contemplating calls for this ingredient, it is worth noting that you can substitute espresso powder with 1 to 1 ½ teaspoons of regular instant coffee, preferably dark roasted. The regular instant coffee that is used as a substitute for espresso powder will give the same cooking results as the espresso powder and the only difference that you will find is that the coffee won't give off the deep roasted flavor that the espresso does. When using instant coffee as a substitute for espresso powder you should try to use coffee powder. This is mainly due to the fact that many instant espresso powders are quite fine and mix very easily whereas many of the instant brands of coffee are quite chunky and granular and a much harder to mix. One way to avoid this is to mix the coffee with boiling water first. If you are considering using instant coffee as a substitute for espresso powder, a very good brand to use is the International Foods Italian Cappuccino Crystal. This brand works extremely well for brownies and other baking recipes that require espresso powder." They don't say how much espresso powder, but I am guessing they mean 1 teaspoon? If you can only find espresso granules or coffee granules, just whiz them in a coffee/spice grinder to make a powder.

Alisa