bourbon butterscotch brownies
A boozy Halloween treat to add to your entertaining platter.
I guess this doesn’t solely qualify as a “Halloween” dessert – it’s neither fancy nor particularly spooky, but since we’ve got a dark hue and an orange hue collaborating within a dessert, I’ll dub it as such for marketing purposes. You can make these any time of year, though, without any judgmental side-eyed glances from folks who think June is too early to think of Halloween. Read: folks like me.
I dunno, I’m just not a huge Halloween person, and this year is the year I avoid things I don’t care about unless I’m somehow inspired to acknowledge them. I’m presently not interested in forcing myself to do much of anything – go where the vibes are. Call this recipe my Halloween acknowledgement, then.
For all your adults-only Halloween parties, these boozy brownies are rich, delectable, and easy – quite addicting, too, so a double batch may be in order. Less than an hour to make and bake, totally worthwhile payoff. And those crinkly tops, yo…
Brownie Bonanza
These brownies are based on my typical recipe that I use for practically every iteration. The result is fudgy, thick, and deeply chocolatey. You could make them just as is at any point, deleting the additions that make the individual riffs unique, if a craving for basic-ass brownies crops up.
Start off by microwaving butter and some chocolate chips together until nice and melted. I start with 1 minute, stir, then pop the bowl back in for a bit longer to make sure no lumps remain. Whisk in sugar, brown sugar, and the bourbon thereafter until mostly smooth.
Worth noting that if you don’t want the alcohol element, you can omit the bourbon. Won’t hurt the recipe one bit.
In another big bowl, whip up a few eggs until they’re very frothy and bubbly. This is key to achieving that glossy, wrinkled brownie “crust” on top. After a few minutes of abusing your eggies, lower the mixer speed and stream in the butter-chocolate mixture and some vanilla.
Toss in some flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Do not overmix this shit – a couple streaks of flour is an okay visual. With a spatula, fold in more chocolate chips and the butterscotch chips.
Shake n’ Bake
I like using a 9 x 9 inch cake pan for brownies since it encourages thicker brownies. If you need to stretch the recipe, a 9 x 13 inch is just fine. Whichever you choose, line the pan with enough parchment to let a bit overhang the sides. Easier to remove the brownies this way.
Pour the batter into the cake pan, spreading with a spatula until relatively even. Sprinkle a few more butterscotch chips on top if you’d like (I do).
Bake at 350 until the center is no longer jiggly and an inserted toothpick emerges with just a few moist crumbs. The next part I’m about to relay is important: wait at least 20 minutes before attempting to slice. Ideally, 30-40 minutes, or you can throw the pan of brownies in the freezer for 15 minutes. The brownies will disintegrate into (delicious) chocolate mush if you too eagerly dig your knife into them before they’re ready. I’ll often bake up the batch early in the day, then let them hang out on the counter until I remember they’re there. Usually, they’re quite cool by then.
To store, room temp up to 5 days, fridge up to a week, and freezer up to 3 months is the name of the game. I wouldn’t recommend attempting to prep the batter ahead of time; best off baking them up and, if needed, holding them hostage until you’re ready to serve.
Or, just holding the first round hostage for yourself anyway, and baking up a second for everyone else to fight over.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
This is Halloween, Halloween, Halloween:
“This Gourd Is on Fire” Pumpkin Smash
Lil Monster Double Chocolate Espresso Cookies
Creepy Crawly Pumpkin Patch Chocolate Cupcakes
bourbon butterscotch brownies
Ingredients
- 10 tbsp butter
- 1 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup bourbon
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 3/4 cup butterscotch chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 x 9 inch baking dish with parchment, leaving some to overhang the sides.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter and 1 cup of the chocolate chips for 1 minute. Stir until the bowl is no longer warm, then heat 20-30 seconds longer if needed. Immediately whisk in the sugar, brown sugar, and bourbon.
- In a large bowl, beat the eggs until very frothy, about 2-3 minutes. With the mixer running on low speed, stream in the chocolate mixture and the vanilla until combined. Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Stir until incorporated. With a spatula, fold in the remaining 1/2 cup of chocolate chips and the butterscotch chips.
- Spread the batter into the prepared cake pan. Sprinkle with a few additional butterscotch chips. Bake 30-35 minutes until an inserted toothpick emerges with just a few moist crumbs. Let cool at least 20 minutes in the pan, then slice and serve! Or, cool completely, cover, and keep at room temperature for up to 5 days or transfer to the fridge for up to a week.
