Mexican Hot Chocolate Brownies

Name: Mexican Hot Chocolate Brownies
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Ingredients: 4 large eggs; 1 cup granulated sugar; 1 cup light brown sugar; 1/2 cup all-purpose flour; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper; 2 teaspoons cinnamon; 1 1/4 cups Hershey’s Cocoa; 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract; 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted; Butter for greasing parchment paper; Cocoa for dusting parchment paper; 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream; 4 ounces good quality bittersweet baking chocolate, such as Ghirardelli 60% cacao, broken into small pieces.; 1 rounded cup of mini marshmallows

Jump To Recipe by Cindy @mycountrytable

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Mexican Hot Chocolate Brownies are fudgy rich brownies that combine the flavors of chocolate, cinnamon and cayenne for a sweet brownie with a little warmth and kick. They’re finished with a topping of gooey toasted marshmallows and chocolate ganache. Brownie perfection!

If you’ve ever indulged in a comforting cup of Mexican Hot Chocolate, you’re already familiar with the wonderful result of combining chocolate, cinnamon and cayenne. That being said, what could be better than combining those flavors in a brownie?!

There’s no reason why you can’t take the warming flavors of a cup of Mexican Hot Chocolate and infuse those same flavors into some delectable brownies. But hey…if you’re not a fan of a little kick to your brownies, feel free to omit the cayenne or even the cinnamon. They will still be delicious!

Ingredients needed for these brownies

Cinnamon: Adds warmth to brownies, and enhances the chocolate flavor and sweetness of the brownies. Any cinnamon will work here. You can also use Mexican cinnamon if you can find it.

Cayenne pepper: Used for a subtle spiciness. I used 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper. If you want a little more kick, use up to 1/2 teaspoon, but I don’t suggest using more than 1/2 teaspoon.

Salt: Salt is needed to enhance and bring the other flavors together. If you must use salted butter, omit the salt.

Pure Vanilla Extract: Enhances and rounds out the other flavors in brownies.

Eggs: Used for structure here. This recipe used 4 large eggs.

Unsalted Butter: Use unsalted butter. If you must use salted butter, omit the salt in this recipe. It’s always easier to use unsalted butter so you can adjust the amount of salt in the recipe.

Flour: All-purpose flour is used in this recipe. Make sure to spoon it into your measuring cup, and level it off with a knife. Too much flour equals dry brownies.

Brown sugar: Used for sweetness but also add moistness, making a more dense brownie. Cocoa has a drying effect in recipes. Therefore we need both the butter and brown sugar for moistness.

Granulated sugar: (not pictured) Used for sweetness in this recipe. We don’t want to use all granulated sugar here, or the brownies would be more cake-like rather than dense and fudgy.

Hershey’s cocoa: Hershey’s regular cocoa works great in this recipe. You can use extra dark. However, these brownies are quite dark and chocolatey by using the regular cocoa. You can also use Dutch-process cocoa is you like.

Grease the bottom and sides of a 9″ x 9″ square pan with butter. Lay a piece of parchment paper across the bottom and up the sides of the pan, allowing the paper to hang over the sides of the pan by one to two inches. Butter the bottom and sides of the paper, and dust the bottom and all sides with cocoa. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the eggs on medium speed until they are light, foamy, and lemony. Add the vanilla and mix to incorporate.

Place a wire mesh strainer or a sifter over the mixing bowl. Place the sugars, flour, salt, and cocoa in the strainer, and sift the ingredients into the mixing bowl. Mix the ingredients on medium speed just until the dry ingredients are incorporated.

Slowly add the butter, a little at a time, with the mixer on low speed. Mix only until the butter is mixed in and stop mixing. Don’t add the butter all at one time.

How to make these brownies

Spread the batter out evenly in the prepared pan.

Bake for exactly 45 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies should come out clean. Place the brownies set in the pan for fifteen minutes.

Pour the whipping cream in a small saucepan, and bring just to a boil over medium heat and remove. Pour the whipping cream over the chocolate pieces and set it aside for about 7 to 8 minutes, until the chocolate has time to soften.

Mix the whipping cream and chocolate together, until they are well combined and the chocolate is melted. The mixture will be somewhat thin. Transfer about 1/3 of the ganache into a piping bag fitted with a small round tip. Allow the remaining ganache to sit for about 5 minutes, before spreading it over the brownies.

Spread the cooled ganache over the brownies, using an offset spatula. Sprinkle the marshmallows over the ganache, lightly pressing them into the ganache.

Place the pan under a broiler for about 1 1/2 minutes or until the marshmallows are golden brown. DON’T WALK AWAY! Place the pan in the refrigerator for a few minutes until the chocolate sets up.

Drizzle the ganache in the piping bag back and forth over the marshmallows. Place the pan back in the refrigerator for a few minutes to allow the ganache to firm up before cutting the brownies.

You might also like S’mores Brownies, Cocoa Brownies with Coconut Pecan Icing, Fudgy Marbled Cocoa Brownies, and Salted Caramel Brownies.

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