espresso brownies with coffee glaze

these brownies are heaven,you can have it as a dessert served with vanilla ice cream.

I just love the combination of chocolate and coffee. I used to have this with my evening tea, I for some reason love to have something sweet with tea.

this recipe has been taken from www.laurainthekitchen.com, Laura uses ready made brownie mix in her recipe, so have I.Thats why its a simple recipe, all you have to do is add some coffee and make coffee icing.

in the original recipe the chef has used a cup of semi sweet chocolate chips, but i have skipped that step and I am glad that i did, or the brownie would have ended up very sweet. I have also added 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts to the cake batter.

 Ingredients

1 box brownie mix

egg according to package instructions

water according to package instructions

vegetable oil according to package instructions

2 1/2 tbsp instant coffee powder

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

for coffee glaze

1 cup icing sugar
2tbsp water
2tsp instant coffee powder
1tbsp room temperature unsalted butter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Method

* Pre-heat oven at 180 degree C

* Prepare a baking tray, I have used 9 by 9  inch square tray. Usually most of the chefs tell will you to use parchment paper to avoid the brownies from sticking, but I feel unlike cakes ,brownies still stick to the baking tray no matter how much you grease. So what I do is I use aluminium foil, just line the baking tray with the foil, the foil should come outside the baking tray so that you can just lift the foil out along with the
brownie after its baked.grease the aluminium foil with butter on all sides.

* Mix 2 1/2 tbsp of instant coffee powder to the water that has to be added to the brownie mix.

* In a bowl put in the brownie mix, eggs, oil, the above coffee and water mix and chopped walnuts( you can also put 1/2 cup of semi sweet chocolate chips). Blend the brownies mix with a whisk until well combined(don't mix too much,the brownie will end up hard and dry). pour the batter into the baking tray.

* Put the tray in the oven and bake foe 45 minutes or till done.

* There are ways to know if your brownie are done. Unlike cake, brownies cannot be judged by inserting the toothpick and see if it come out clean.
One way to know is that you will see the brownies will start leaving the sides of the baking tray.
Second, a thin layer forms on top of the brownie, almost like a layer of skin.
Third, when you press the brownie at the edges it will spring back a little.
And fourth, when you insert a toothpick,you will see crumbs stuck to it.

* After you all see these signs, bring the tray out and let it cool down completely, before you remove it from the foil.

Method for coffee glaze:

* Mix 2tbsp water and instant coffee powder and keep it aside.

* In a bowl sieve icing sugar, add butter, add the above coffee and water mixture and vanilla extract. Combine well with a whisk till smooth.Apply this glaze on the brownies. Apply a very thin layer, or the brownie will be too sweet.

* Cut it into desired shapes. You can decorated the brownies with chopped walnuts.