Latin Flair – Mexican Brownies
It’s been a while since I blogged about Latino dessert recipes (sorry about that). When thinking about what I wanted to feature next, I decided I wanted to go out of my comfort zone and work with textures and flavors that aren’t necessarily of my liking. And while flipping through the pages of the latest issue of the Food Network Magazine it hit me in the form of Aaron Sanchez’s Mexican Brownies.
At the risk of making some enemies, let me start off by saying I’m not a chocolate lover. I really only eat it in small doses and it’s normally accompanied by a slew of other things (nuts, caramel, cookie, peanut butter…the list goes on). So brownies are a huge departure from my regular baking. What makes these brownies Mexican is is also not my cup of tea – cayenne pepper. Contrary to popular belief not all Latinos like their food hot, not to be confused with spicy though. My family makes the most robust and incredibly flavorful dishes but none of them are hot. With time, my palate has adjusted slightly but I still cringe at the thought of eating anything with too much heat.
Despite these reason, I was intrigued by how these flavors would come together and taste in a brownie. So I went for it and started out by searching for the pepper Sanchez said was his secret weapon in these brownies – pequin pepper. I knew I wouldn’t find this in my local supermarket so I went to my favorite spice shop, Penzey’s, in the Grand Central Market. When I asked for it, the sales woman gave me a strange look (the kind that said “What does this girl know about pequin peppers” or “Does this chick know what she’s getting into with these peppers”). She proceeded to ask me what I was making with them and when I told her brownies, all she could respond with was a “Wow” and a warning. “These peppers are the hottest we carry. So you have to be very careful how you use them.” Had my husband heard this, he would not have let me buy them as he well-aware of my heat tolerance. I decided I would take one for the team and get them anyway. And since they only came whole (shown below), the sales woman said I would have to grind them before using them.
I used my good processor to grind these up and after taking one wiff of them all chopped there was no way in hell I would use them. They were crazy, crazy hot. So hot that they made my eyes water and I felt the heat go down my nose to the back of my throat. These small, red, fiery hot Mexican chilies are also known as bird’s eye peppers, grown and used throughout Mexico and the American Southwest. They are considered to be able eight times hotter than jalapenos. On the heat scale, Penzey’s pequin peppers had 140,000 heat units. So if hot peppers bring you pleasure, you should definitely get your hands on some of these. I decided to bring it down a few heat units and use cayenne pepper instead.
The addition of cayenne pepper and Mexican cinnamon (if you can’t find Mexican, ceylon cinnamon has the same more subtle cinnamon flavor) to these brownies made for an interesting treat. First off, the cayenne doesn’t hit you over the head right away. It takes a little while for you to feel the “warmth” in the back of your throat. I say warmth instead of heat because these brownies weren’t hot at all. After a few bites, your mouth is more consumed with a cinnamon pepper aroma that reminds me of chilly Fall days, almost like some warm cider.
So did I like them? Absolutely. While the fudgy chocolate is definitely the prominent flavor here, the spices are the true star. Think of it as a Fall inspired brownie you can get cozy with on chilly October nights. I would surely make these again and maybe add some toasted walnuts to add to the fiesta in my mouth.
I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.
Aaron Sanchez’s Mexican Brownies
From: October 2009 Food Network Magazine
Yield: 18 Brownies
2 sticks unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2/3 cup good-quality unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground Mexican cinnamon (canela)
1/4 teaspoon pequen chili powder or cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2/3 cup good-quality unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground Mexican cinnamon (canela)
1/4 teaspoon pequen chili powder or cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides. Press the paper into the corners of the pan and lightly grease the paper with butter.
Melt the 2 sticks of butter in a nonstick saucepan over medium-low heat; do not boil. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Add the sugar, eggs and vanilla to the saucepan and stir with a wooden spoon until combined.
Add the cocoa, flour, cinnamon, chili powder, salt and baking powder and mix until smooth. Spread the batter in the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out fudgy, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack, then use the parchment paper to lift out the brownies before slicing.
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zerrin — September 17, 2009 @ 1:43 am
I can never think that brownies may contain pepper, a strange look from me
But when I think for a while, I guess the flavors of pure chocolate and cayenne pepper may have a similar bitterness, so I'm really curious now. As I'm a big fan of chocolate and brownies, I find this recipe so intriguing. Thanks for sharing. They look so yummy in the picture.
Justin — September 17, 2009 @ 2:15 am
nice… i wrote about brownies today too, strangely enough.
Katrina — September 17, 2009 @ 2:48 am
Those brownies look fabulous. I'm not too big on too spicy either, but was surprised to like the kick it had in a brownie I made once. Love how fudgy, but crispy topped they look!
Megan — September 17, 2009 @ 3:45 am
Although I love spicy foods, I can't grasp the concept of putting spicy peppers in brownies. I know it's popular but……. no.I guess I'm just a purist that way!
Teanna — September 17, 2009 @ 7:09 am
These brownies sound AWESOME! And I totally need to check out that spice market!
Michele — September 17, 2009 @ 7:10 am
What an interesting recipe! Sounds delicious. I am not a huge chocolate lover either.
Paris Pastry — September 17, 2009 @ 7:34 am
"eight times hotter than jalapenos"?! Wow!!Interesting thing though, to add these in a brownie (and cinnamon). Either way the brownies look good!
Dawn — September 17, 2009 @ 12:47 pm
oh girl I love me some mexican brownies because I love the heat and I love that cinnamon. I'm all about the combination. Nice.
Shandy — September 17, 2009 @ 3:06 pm
You went out of your baking comfort zone and tried a chocolate brownie with heat? I feel so proud of you! Love the recipe and thank you for sharing about the pequin peppers. I had no idea.
Deeba @Passionate About Baking — September 17, 2009 @ 3:28 pm
Droolicious…absolutely droolworthy! I'd love to try making these one day! YUM!
Snooky doodle — September 17, 2009 @ 7:54 pm
these are very interesting! I love chocolate with chili so I think I will like these
Megan — September 17, 2009 @ 9:07 pm
I love cinnamon and chocolate (which you'll see in one of my upcoming posts), but I'm not sure I could do the cayenne. I'm such a wimp! However the way you described them kind of makes me want to try the cayenne or chili powder anyways… if it is just a warmth.
Ingrid — September 18, 2009 @ 2:49 am
I don't mind a little heat but I definitely want to "taste" my food. I've yet to add any kind of "heat" to my desserts.Thanks for sharing!~ingrid
Lele — September 18, 2009 @ 3:50 am
I love chocolate and spice!And I love your name because my name is your name rearranged- Ileana.
5 Star Foodie — September 18, 2009 @ 4:13 am
Such unique and delicious brownies! I love your addition of cayenne pepper and Mexican cinnamon!
Karin — September 18, 2009 @ 5:11 pm
Oh boy! One lesson I have learned- never grind or process hot peppers in the house! They sound really, what's the word I'm looking for- intriguing! I would definitely try them.
Nichi — September 18, 2009 @ 9:35 pm
I saw your pictures first and thought you were throwing dried cranberries in your brownies!Spicy brownies… very interesting chica
Pamela — September 19, 2009 @ 11:57 am
Whoa…those little peppers scare me! I just know, klutz that I am, I would end up getting some pepper oil in my eye or some where else! Yikes! Anyway, you tried and that's something! These brownies look fabulous! Glad you liked them!
Kaitlin — September 20, 2009 @ 8:26 pm
Very cool story about the pequin peppers. I had never heard of them before – they look really cute, almost like candy – totally not how they taste/smell from the sounds of it!I'm glad that you liked these brownies. Sometimes it can be very rewarding to step outside of your comfort zone.
Ulla — September 20, 2009 @ 9:37 pm
oh lovely! i lot heat in chocolate desserts!:)
pinkstripes — September 21, 2009 @ 1:29 am
OMG. I would love these. They sound wonderful!
Tracey — September 23, 2009 @ 1:25 pm
These sound so interesting!! I've been wanting to try heat in a chocolate dessert and this looks like a good starting point.
Deepo — September 27, 2009 @ 9:51 pm
This is on my list to try – i don't bake until the weather is a bit cooler. Thanks for the tips and the experience. I saw the recipe and was intrigued. My family likes it hot so this is useful. And my guys are huge brownie fans so it's nice to know this is a good recipe.
Jelli Bean — October 6, 2009 @ 2:28 pm
This recipe is the same as my favorite go-to brownies, with some kick in flavor. I actually made them once with these changes, and my Mexican pastor raved about them. From then on, every time I make brownies for Bible study, I swirl in cayenne and cinnamon at the edge of the pan, just for him (He's of Mexican descent…the Costa Ricans don't like spicy too much.)
Stephanie — November 9, 2009 @ 1:38 am
Wow, these are delicious. I've just made them for my office bake off. I'm so gonna win!
Kimberly — February 28, 2010 @ 6:16 pm
Eliana, I'm so glad I stumbled on your blog. I have a Mexican priest coming to our house for dinner in 3 weeks, and I'm going to make these brownies for him. I get Food Network magazine, but can you imagine if I'd used those pequin peppers? Poor Fr. Thomas would be blasted outta his seat at our humble table!!! Will definitely follow your advice and make it with cayenne instead.