Description
Red Wine Brownies with Ganache are great for Valentine’s Day or any special occasion. Reduced red wine adds an acidic, fruity punch to these fudgy brownies.
Ingredients
Brownies:
- 1 cup dry red wine (I used Chianti)*
- 1 stick cold, unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces
- 5 oz semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup all purpose flour
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder (preferably Dutch processed)
- 2 tsp instant espresso powder
- ½ tsp kosher salt (1/4 tsp fine salt)
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
Ganache:
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 6 oz semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
- Pinch of kosher salt
- 2 tbsp reduced wine
Instructions
- Prepare pan: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, overhanging on the sides so you can easily lift brownies from pan.
- Reduce wine: Add wine to a small pot. Bring to a boil and reduce down to 1/4 cup volume, about 15 minutes.
- Melt chocolate and butter: While wine reduces, set up a double boiler. Place chocolate and butter in a heat proof bowl over a pot filled with 1 inch of simmering water, making sure bottom of bowl does not make contact with water. Stir chocolate and butter frequently as they melt, taking off heat as needed to prevent scorching chocolate. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and let cool at room temperature.
- Mix dry ingredients: Sift together flour, cocoa, espresso powder and salt in a small bowl.
- Mix wet ingredients: Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a handheld mixer, beat eggs and sugar together over high speed until pale and creamy, about 1 ½-2 minutes.
- Mix wet and dry: Stir cooled chocolate mixture and 2 tablespoons of the reduced wine into egg mixture. Fold in dry ingredients until just combined.
- Bake: Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake about 25-30 minutes or until tester inserted into the center comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs attached. For less fudgy brownies, cook until tester comes out clean. For a fudgier result, underbake by a couple minutes (the batter should be slightly wet, but not liquidy).
- Cool: Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove brownies from pan, lifting by parchment, and cool directly on rack until room temperature.
- Make ganache: Place chopped chocolate in a bowl. Bring cream to a simmer in a small pot over medium heat. Pour hot cream over chocolate. Allow to sit for about 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. Season with pinch of salt, and whisk in remaining 2 tablespoons of reduced wine.
- Top and Serve: Remove parchment paper from cooled brownies. Spread over ganache. There may be extra ganache leftover depending on how thick of a layer you like.* Allow to set at room temperature. Cut into 16 squares. Enjoy.
Notes
Use you can any red wine you enjoy drinking. I prefer something medium to full bodied with fruity notes. I’ve also made this recipe with a tawny port wine in the past, which worked very well.
If you have extra ganache, store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month. Heat in the microwave when ready to use. Serve over ice cream, pound cake, pancakes or cookies, for example.
Store brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days, or up to a week in the fridge.
You can also freeze the brownies for up to 3 months, and defrost them overnight in the fridge as needed.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 brownie
- Calories: 230
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 50mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 26g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 46mg
