All I ever ask for on Valentine’s Day is chocolate. I could do without the flowers, fancy dinner or card professing love for me. Tell me you love me by giving me the most intensely rich and chocolatey thing you can find. And I will love you back. But in a platonic way because I already have Daniel :). 
To honor this holiday, Daniel and I collaborated to make our version of the perfect Valentine’s Day dessert for our friends over at Richer Poorer. Go check out our guest blog post and find out what we did on our first date together!
Chocolate Stout Brownies w/ Salted Caramel Whipped Cream
Ingredients:
14 Tbs unsalted butter, cubed
1 1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
3/4 cup dark cocoa powder
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp vanilla
3 eggs, cold
1/2 cup stout beer, such as Guinness
1/2 cup + 3 Tbs all purpose flour
Directions:
1. Postion oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line the bottom and sides of an 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, pressing in the corners to make a crease and pressing over the sides of the pan. There should be an overhang on two opposite sides of the baking pan.
2. Combine the butter, sugars, dark cocoa, dark chocolate chips and salt in a medium heatproof bowl and set it over a sauce pan of simmering hot water (there should be a light boil). Stir occasionally until the butter and chocolate have melted and the mixture is smooth (it will be a bit gritty or granulated looking due to the sugar, but will smooth out once the eggs are beaten in). Remove the bowl from the sauce pan and let cool for 1 minute.
3. Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon. Next add the eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously after each one. When the batter looks thick, shiny, and well blended, add the stout beer and fold in gently until it begins to absorb into the mixture. Continue to fold until the beer is fully incorporated. Next, add the flour and stir until you cannot see it any longer, then beat vigorously for 40 strokes. Spread batter evenly in the parchment lined pan.
4. Bake at 325 degrees for 27-30 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center of the pan should come out mostly clean. Let cool completely on rack.
5. Pull the brownies out of the pan by the two ends of parchment paper and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into 16 squares.
Salted Caramel Whipped Cream:
Ingredients:
1/2 pint heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup caramel
1/4 tsp coarse sea salt
Directions:
1. Place heavy whipping cream in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whip on medium/high speed for 2 minutes then check to see if the cream forms stiff peaks when you lift the whisk attachment. If not, continue to whip the cream until it forms stiff peaks.
2. Fold in the caramel and sea salt until well blended.
3. Place a dollop on each brownie, drizzle with extra caramel and serve!
Espresso Vodkatini made by Daniel
Ingredients:
1 part coffee liquer
1 1/2 part cold espresso
1 part vodka
Directions:
1. Mix all ingredients in a Boston shaker with ice.
2. Strain into a martini glass.
3. Top off with a few espresso beans to make it look pro.
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