Brownie Blitz at Kelly Writers Open House

On September 5, Kelly Writers House hosted an Open House inviting new and old students to explore publication opportunities and the House itself. With book giveaways, a t-shirt-embellishment table, poem-making stations, and more, it was a wonderful way for members of the Penn community to connect with each other over the power of the word.

Of course, Penn Appétit got in on the action. While we recruited many enthusiastic members, the more important question is “What treat did we have for people who visited our table?” This is how a few of our table visitors described it:

So many different layers of flavor and texture creating a beautiful medley of chocolatey goodness!

It actually reminded me a bit of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The overflow of the chocolate fountain was just all up in that brownie and it was magical, just like the movie. Very cheesy I know, but true. The salt was a nice touch too.

T’is an excellent morsel indeed.

It was a perfect storm of sweet and salty chewy crunch in my mouth.

An explosion of contradictions; dense and moist yet airy, sweet and rich with a salty bite.

I saw chocolate and my tongue said “yessss.”

DAMN! Thats a good brownie.

Our fabulous Culinary Director Amy Yu was responsible for baking these magnificent morsels. She gave her own twist to Smitten Kitchen’s take on Alice Medrich’s Best Cocoa Brownies recipe, adding Kahlua to the batter and sprinkling crunchy sea salt flakes on top. Check out the recipe below and whip up a batch yourself!

Amy’s Best Cocoa Brownies
Makes 16 larger or 25 smaller brownies
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen’s recipe

10 tablespoons (140 grams) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups (250 grams) sugar
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (65 grams, though some brands may weigh more) unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-process)
1/4 teaspoon salt plus 1 teaspoon for topping
2 tablespoons coffee liquor
2 large eggs, cold
1/2 cup (65 grams) all-purpose flour

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F. Line the bottom and sides of an 8×8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper or foil, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides.

Combine the butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt in a microwaveable bowl. Heat in microwave using 70% power and stir every 30 seconds until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth (may look fairly gritty, but it’ll smooth out once the eggs and flour are added).

Stir in the coffee liquor with a wooden spoon. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously after each one. When the batter looks thick, shiny, and well blended, add the flour and stir until you cannot see it any longer, then beat vigorously for 40 strokes with the wooden spoon or a rubber spatula. Spread evenly in the lined pan.

Bake until a toothpick plunged into the center emerges slightly moist with batter (approximately 20 to 25 minutes; may take longer for batter to set). Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of flaky sea salt over the brownies while still warm out of the oven.

Let cool completely on a rack before cutting (can be refrigerated or frozen for a while so you can cut clean lines).