Spicy brownies

[inbiz]

I like heat w/my chocolate. Do you guys think adding 1tsp. of ground, dried chipotle pepper to my brownie recipie is the best way to go?

[lgss]

We've made jalapeno and habanero chocolate cake and brownies. We use fresh, homegrown peppers.

[sabrina0]

I haven't tried these, but Deb can do no wrong in my book: http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/09/the...

[newfoodie]

I agree that Deb can do no wrong, but I will say that I found these brownies to be less than perfect. The spice quality was much less pronounced than I had expected.

[breadandroses]

Here's a recipe for brownies with chipotle, cinnamon and espresso. They are amazing. I've done them as written, and also by reducing the chipotle powder a bit, as they really are pretty spicy.

http://www.tigersandstrawberries.com/...

[oldgrimy]

I think there are a few chipotle in ground powdered form. I have used ground powdered cayenne succesfully, with some of the same variations listed above (cinnamon, espresso, etc.). I have featured these in zucchini -based brownies. Recipes and video: http://oldgrimy.blogspot.com/2008/07/vegan-zucchini-chili-brownies.html
http://oldgrimy.blogspot.com/2008/08/update-to-chanticos-brownies-recipe.html
http://vimeo.com/1351812

[jadec]

I've used garam masala with chilli powder.

[Azizeh]

I "invented" a spicy chocolate chip cookie recipe not long ago. Obviously I didn't want them to taste like taco seasoning, so I had to be careful. I used a spicy cinnamon (Penzey's extra fancy Vietnamese cinnamon) and dried ancho chile powder as well as cayenne powder.

I need to do it again, since I didn't write down any measurements, just kept tasting as I went along. They were my regular chocolate chip cookie that left a little heat on the palate afterwards and I really liked the combination of flavors.

[ipsedixit]

Wasabi powder.

[inbiz]

Perfect, thank you. I forgot about cinnamon. If I do both, how much to use? The idea of a chocolate bar is great, but I use the bittersweet kind in my brownies and flavored chocolates are usually meant to be eaten alone and therefore, not bittersweet.

[JungMann]

I only add a light dusting of cinnamon, probably no more than 1/8 tsp. for the 10 oz. of chocolate I use. The cinnamon shouldn't be readily identifiable, more like a warm taste that unifies the spices.

[wallyz]

Not chipotles, I would go with the soaked mashed ancho or New Mexico Red. You are looking for clean capsaicin burn, no complex flavors to compete with the bitter of the chocolate.

[tommyskitchen]

I would try adding some sauce from canned chilpotles, or mincing those very fine. Let us know how it goes!

[maestra]

That sauce can include vinegar, tomato, garlic, and spices, depending upon the brand. Doesn't sound good in a brownie to me. To each his/her own, however.
Another option is to use a chile-inflused chocolate bar in the brownies for a spicy bite here and there. Chuao's Spicy Maya is my favorite, but Vosges is widely available.

[JungMann]

I think the adobo from chipotles might have a little too much garlic and vinegar for brownies. For my spicy chocolate mousse, I soften anchos in the cream to add a nice smoky background, but I also add a little chipotle and cayenne for forward heat. Cinnamon rounds out the flavors and keeps them from being aggressively competing.

[chowser]

I was thinking along these lines w/ simmering cream and chile and making a ganache. I'd also add some espresso powder in the brownies. Great w/out the heat but I think even better with.

[tommyskitchen]

hmmm all good thoughts....

[tommyskitchen]

I love chipotles, and you all were probably right on the mark concerning the adobo sauce.
First of all - I don't bake - just cook. So I tried this with a Box Brownie mix (Gasp - I know).
I took about 8 dried chipotles, stemmed and seeded them, soaked them in hot water,, then put them in my processor with a bit of water, strained this, and has a very nice chipotle sauce. I used this instead of the water (and since it was thicker, used 150% of what the recipe called for), then drizzled some more on top before baking.
The result - A nice, mellow warm heat with each bite. Being a box brownie, it's not perfect - I think Chowser and JungMann are on to something by adding it to the cream.

If I can tear myself away from the BBQ and Pork Bellies long enough, I may have to try a recipe from scratch...

[janeh]

I didn't have much success using chili powders in brownies. At the suggestion of a chef friend I started using either a morita or a small ancho chili - soak in hot water to soften, remove stem, veins and seeds and puree in the blender along with the eggs. Gives a nice background kick to the brownies