I was recently introduced to the addition of tea in baked goods whilst thumbing through yet another new cookbook. I grew up with a passion for antique teapots and began collecting them at a young age. I relate it to my infatuation Alice in Wonderland. Who doesn't love a fancy tea party every now and then?
When I came across the Alice's Tea Cup cookbook, I quickly grabbed the book off the shelf and fervently began thumbing through its pages. I noticed that several of their recipes called for dried tea leaves. How clever? Why didn't I think of this?
After successfully adding Earl Grey to brownie pudding, I craved more tea-infused dessert. And so, these brown butter brownies with chai were born.
They're supremely rich, perfectly dense, and loaded with bittersweet chocolate. The chai tea adds a subtle spice to the background with hints of vanilla and orange, and I topped them with cashew halves for good measure. The cashews become sweet and nutty as they toast in the oven and nestle their way into the brownie batter.
I think you'll agree with this declaration, and if you don't, well, then, we can no longer be friends: brown butter makes everything better! There's no denying it. There's no disagreeing. There's no resisting the urge.
Once you get a whiff of the nutty mixture, you're all in. It drives your sensory receptacles bonkers. If you're not familiar with the brown butter process, take a peek at my tutorial.
The great thing about this recipe is that it comes together in one bowl. There's no need to bust out the heavy artillery. A simple bowl, whisk, and rubber spatula will do the trick. The batter comes together in a few short minutes with minimal effort.
As you know, I'm all about instant gratification--the quicker, the better. I want to eat my brownies, not wait around for them.
As always, I like to serve my brownies warm. If you're a perfectionist, you'll want to wait for the brownies to cool completely before cutting them into squares. If you couldn't care less (like me), rip into that pan immediately. Heck, throw some ice cream on top and make it a sundae. I highly recommend adding a scoop of this homemade peanut butter ice cream.
Brown Butter Brownies with Chai Recipe
Ingredients
- 13 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon chai spice tea, about 4 teabags
- 1/2 cup cashew halves
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment that overlap on each side. Lightly spray the parchment with nonstick baking spray.
- Place the chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl; set aside.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Continue to cook, whisking occasionally to prevent burning. The butter will begin to foam once it cooks beyond its melting point.
- As the butter continues to cook, the foam will turn to tiny bubbles and the butter will begin to gently boil. Continue to cook until brown bits form in the bottom of the pan.
- Once the butter is dark golden brown in color and smells nutty, remove the pan from the heat.
- Pour the hot butter over the chocolate. Allow the mixture to rest undisturbed for 5 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, stir until the chocolate is smooth.
- Add the brown sugar to the chocolate mixture and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract until combined.
- Add the flour, salt, and tea leaves to the bowl. Stir until just combined. Transfer the batter to your prepared baking pan. Top with cashew halves.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean.
- Allow the brownies to cool in the pan for 30 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- When the brownies are completely cool, cut them into large squares with a serrated knife. If you're not worried about perfectly cut brownie squares, feel free to dig in while they're still warm.
Notes
- If you're using whole leaf tea, place the tea leaves in a coffee grinder and grind to a fine powder.
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