As Irish eyes start smilin’ at this time of year, I always seem to break out the Guinness for recipes in my kitchen. I’ll be perfectly honest, I don’t really like drinking Guinness straight up, but in cooking it adds a whole new depth and dimension to so many things. Sausage Coddle, Oatmeal Quick Bread, Bangers and Mash, Caramel Sauce. And that holds particularly true when it is combined with chocolate. Deep, malty Guinness adds a dimension and depth without any bitterness or aftertaste. These brownies don’t taste of Guinness per se, but they are deeply fudgy and chocolatey. I add a cheeky little topping of white chocolate ganache that I think looks like the head of foam on a pint of the brown stuff.
These brownies are really fudgy, so make sure a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. The white chocolate ganache is so simple and extra sweet so these are wonderfully rich brownies, I cut them into smaller pieces, but you do you!
Ingredients
- For the Brownies
¼ cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
¼ cup vegetable oil
½ cup Guinness beer
2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
½ teaspoon salt
- For the Ganache
11 ounces white chocolate chips or white chocolate finely chopped
1 Tablespoon Guinness
2/3 cup heavy cream
Directions
- For the Brownies
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with nonstick foil or parchment, leaving an overhang to lift the brownies out of the pan.
- Put the cooled butter, vegetable oil and Guinness in a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Add the sugar and stir to combine, the add the eggs and stir until smooth and combined. Add the flour, cocoa powder and salt and fold just until combined and there are no visible streaks of dry ingredients. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 35 – 45 minutes until a tester inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Cool completely in the pan.
- For the Ganache
- Put the white chocolate in a heat proof bowl. Put the Guinness and cream in a saucepan. Heat in a small saucepan until bubbles form on the surface and the cream is steaming, but do not boil. Stir frequently so the milk heats evenly. Pour it over the chocolate, cover with a tea towel and leave for 5 minutes to soften the chocolate. Whisk until smooth. If the ganache is not completely smooth, set the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water (that doesn’t touch the bowl) and whisk until smooth. Pour over the brownies and spread to cover the surface. Leave to cool completely – you can put them in the fridge if you like.
These Guinness Brownies look amazing—the way the stout deepens the chocolate flavor is a total game-changer. I tried a similar recipe a while back and was blown away by how the slight bitterness balanced the sweetness perfectly.