You Can Use Coffee to Turn Brownie Mix Into “pudding”
There is a lot of hype around chewy brownies, fudge, and even brownies, but what about wet brownies, huh? (Still working on the title.) It’s more like chocolate pudding and devil food pie, and I guarantee if this simple decadent brownie pudding doesn’t become a cult hit, it will soon. Aside from the usual brownie mix, the only extra ingredient you need is a delicious liquid. Do not mix, but float on top before cooking.
Brownie pudding has the same intense chocolate power as your favorite brownie recipe, but with a luxuriously soft texture. It’s like those last bits of a la mode brownies after all the ice cream has melted and soaked into the brownie crumbs. I made the microwave version (because they bake quickly ) and used the King Arthur brownie recipe , but you can use your favorite recipe or boxed mix. Brownie dough is prepared as usual, but just before it is heated, liquid is poured on top. I used espresso, but coffee, cream, coconut milk, or even water will do. When the cake is cooked, it does not dry out as usual, but instead evaporates under the cover of a fragrant liquid. The dough continues to cook and rise as usual, but also absorbs moisture from the top, resulting in a wonderfully fluffy, soft, slightly gooey chocolate dessert.
I was on dessert emergency so I made a personal serving, but it can be duplicated in multiple bowls if you maintain multiple chocolate emergencies. I took a quarter cup of brownie dough and spread it evenly across the bottom of a microwave safe bowl. With a spatula, I made a few shallow holes in the dough so that the espresso spreads evenly, and does not move to one side.
I added two tablespoons of hot espresso to the batter and microwaved the entire bowl. After 30 seconds, a sufficient amount of steam escaped from the microwave. At this point, you can take it out, check the texture, and decide if it’s done – it should be pudding-like on top and cupcake-like on the bottom. If it’s still too soft, stir lightly and microwave for another 10-20 seconds. The brownie pudding should look a little drier than before, and when you start digging, the texture will be moist and fluffy. Mind you, this is an extraordinary hell, so let it cool down for a few minutes.
Espresso makes the brownie texture soft and tender on the inside and sticky on top. The sturdy structure of a regular regular brownie is just an illusion here, so don’t expect to cut it and assemble it. This brownie pudding is best eaten with a spoon. I suggest stirring it up, which you would never do with a normal brownie, but you would do with pudding. While this dessert won’t win any beauty contests, drizzling a dollop of heavy cream over the brownie pudding is a good idea and will win your heart. While I haven’t tried a full batch of oven baked pudding, the same idea applies. The oven version won’t stir, and the coffee float on top will likely create two separate layers: the more traditional brownie bottom layer and the pudding top layer. If you’d like to try making a large batch of this microwave-oven brownie pudding, start with just one cup of coffee and let me know how it turns out.
brownie pudding in the microwave
Ingredients:
- ΒΌ cup brownie dough
- 2 tablespoons hot espresso (substitute with coconut milk, coffee, cream or other liquid)
Spread the brownie batter evenly with the back of a spoon into the bottom of a microwave-safe bowl. Using the same spoon, make shallow indentations on the surface of the dough. Spread the espresso evenly over the dough. Put in the microwave for 30 seconds. Stir. Put in the microwave for another 10-20 seconds. Let cool for 5 minutes. Toss pudding with brownies and serve with ice cream or cut into chunks of heavy cream.