Food and Recipes Desserts Bars Ultimate Dark Chocolate Brownies Recipe We've created dozens of brownies over the years, but this decidedly grown-up dark chocolate version is our latest obsession. Bourbon and espresso make this rich, fudgy chocolate dessert even more decadent. For a kid friendly—but still delicious—option, you can skip those two ingredients. By Anna Theoktisto Anna Theoktisto Anna Theoktisto is a recipe tester and developer who's been working in Dotdash Meredith test kitchens since 2017. Her recipes and writing have appeared in over 10 nationally distributed print publications as well as on various digital platforms. Anna's recipes have been showcased on the covers of magazines such as Food & Wine and Southern Living. Anna earned her BS in agricultural education and communication from the University of Florida and a degree in culinary arts from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY. She is a member of Les Dames d'Escoffier Birmingham chapter. When not in the kitchen, Anna enjoys hiking with her son, husband, and 2 dogs. She also loves fostering puppies for a local animal rescue group. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on January 14, 2019 Print Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer Active Time: 30 mins Total Time: 2 hrs Yield: 32 bars Ingredients Baking spray with flour 3 (4-oz.) bittersweet chocolate bars (such as Ghirardelli), chopped (about 2 cups) 1 cup unsalted butter 4 large eggs 3/4 cup granulated sugar 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar 3 tablespoons (1 1⁄2 oz.) bourbon 2 tablespoons instant espresso granules 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 3 (4-oz.) semisweet chocolate bars, chopped (about 2 cups), divided 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt Directions Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 13- x 9-inch baking pan with baking spray with flour. Bring a medium pot with 1 inch of water to a simmer over low. Set a medium-size heatproof glass bowl over pot. Add chopped bittersweet chocolate and butter to bowl; cook, stirring occasionally, until melted, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat; cool slightly, about 10 minutes. Whisk eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, bourbon, and espresso granules into cooled chocolate-butter mixture until well combined. Stir in flour and kosher salt until combined. Pour half of the batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle with 1 cup of the chopped semisweet chocolate. Top with remaining batter, smoothing with an offset spatula. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup chopped semisweet chocolate. Bake in preheated oven until center is set, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven; sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Cool completely in pan, about 1 hour. Slice into 32 bars. Print