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Black and Tan Brownies

by Ann
15 comments

Black & Tan Brownies

This week is a special week for me … my facebook page passed a little milestone that was significant to me. I can’t believe I have over 700 people who like my page! Seven just happens to be my lucky number and I know it’s just a number, but I feel so incredibly honored and grateful to be in the company of so many wonderful foodies. I get so much inspiration and so many great ideas from all of them, but you know what the most amazing thing is? I never feel lonely anymore. I work from home so I used to get quite lonely at times, and now I don’t. I have this big group of caring friends and every single one of them is SO loving and sweet and supportive. My heart is just bursting with love for all these friends that I share my food with.


So to send a super big THANK YOU to all of you who wonderful people inspire and support me, I made some brownies. Not just any brownies, though.

These brownies are styled after one of my very favorite drinks: the Black and Tan (if you haven’t had one, it’s half Harp Lager on bottom, with Guinness Stout poured on top). They can be quite tricky to pour to get the layers to show … bartenders often use a bent spoon to pour the Guiness over. The brownies do actually have Guinness in them, although I thought to be true to the drink you ought to include a bit of Harp, but there isn’t any of that. Ah well, they are still delicious. And Light. I took the Cooking Light recipe and further healthified it so you don’t have to feel guilty when you eat them. They aren’t quite as tricky to pour as the drink. The layers will stay intact.

These brownies also happen to be doubly appropriate because today is Arthur’s Day–so it’s a good time to raise your glass and celebrate. And have a brownie.

AND you may notice if you count the ingredients (but don’t count the salt!) that each layer has 7 ingredients. I know that’s cheating a little, but that is the way I’m allowing myself to think of it.

Black and Tan Brownies

Black & Tan Brownies

Adapted from Cooking Light

Tan Brownies:

  • 6 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 c. flour + 1/2 c. white whole wheat flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Black Brownies:

  • 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup Guinness Stout (or other stout beer)
  • 1/2 c. white flour + 1/2 c. white whole wheat flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°.
  2.  Make the Tan Brownie layer: Toast the pecans briefly in a 300 degree oven just until lightly brown. Place 6 tablespoons butter and brown sugar in a medium bowl and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in 2 eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add flour, baking powder and salt and stir just until combined. Put the batter into a 13 x 9–inch baking pan coated with cooking spray, spreading the thick batter evenly across the pan as best you can with a knife or rubber spatula. Sprinkle with toasted pecans. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes. When you pull out this layer from the oven, the batter will be loose and puffy and clearly not done yet. That’s ok.
  3. Make the Black Brownie batter: melt the chocolate and 4 tablespoons butter in a large microwave-safe bowl on HIGH for 1 minute or until melted, stirring after every 20 seconds until smooth. Add sugar, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and Guinness, stirring with a whisk until well combined. Add flour and salt to the chocolate mixture, stirring to combine. Pour mixture evenly over the hot Tan Brownie layer.
  4. Bake for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into center comes out almost clean. Allow brownies to cool slightly before cutting.
Black & Tan Brownies
Thank you, my dear foodie friends. From the bottom of my heart.

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15 comments

Debi September 22, 2011 - 6:47 pm

Congratulations~! I am so happy for you..So deserving Sweet Friend!!! <3

I just love this recipe and I KNOW my boys will LOVE this, too! Yum Yum! <3 and Hugs!

Reply
Zach Goldstein September 22, 2011 - 6:53 pm

Looks amazing. I’ve been trying to get into cooking with beer more but haven’t found the time yet. Maybe I’ll have to start with these!

Reply
zestuous September 23, 2011 - 12:10 am

These look yummy. I love following your blog.

Reply
amy @ fearless homemaker September 23, 2011 - 5:37 pm

these look wonderful! + congratulations on the big milestone on your facebook page – very exciting. =)

Reply
Rachel @ The Avid Appetite September 23, 2011 - 7:47 pm

these are gorgeous! so moist and decadent…wish I had some of these on this rainy Friday afternoon!

Reply
Ann September 23, 2011 - 8:09 pm

They turned out reallllly good. I think they are officially now my favorite brownie … and besides what’s more fun than telling people there’s beer in the brownies?

Zach: I have a couple other beer recipes you might want to try too:
Dark Chocolate Milk Stout Ice Cream
http://sumptuousspoonfuls.wordpress.com/2011/08/14/rich-creamy-dark-chocolate-milk-stout-ice-cream/

Pork with Asparagus and Dark Beer
http://sumptuousspoonfuls.wordpress.com/2011/07/19/pork-with-asparagus-mustard-and-dark-beer/

Reply
Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust September 25, 2011 - 2:04 am

Oh these sound so good! I want one now. 🙂

Reply
danielle@ HUGS&COOKIES XOXO September 28, 2011 - 12:09 am

WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR SO THEY GOTTA B GOOD 4 U! HAHAH

Reply
brown sugar and bacon September 28, 2011 - 11:55 pm

these look so delish and i’m pretty sure my beer lovin’ + homebrewin’ husband would be ALL over these.

Reply
Ann September 29, 2011 - 1:19 am

LOL I would love some of that homebrew! Someday I will maybe make wine and/or beer … for now I drink my dad’s wine and buy my beer.

Reply
Ravioli Salad with Bacon, Herbs & Basil Vinaigrette « Sumptuous Spoonfuls September 29, 2011 - 3:52 am

[…] then after all those lovely greens I needed some chocolate. I had a little bit of a Black and Tan Brownie to finish off my meal. What a FINE lunch! Share […]

Reply
overtimecook October 2, 2011 - 2:21 am

Congrats on your milestone! As a new blogger, I am starting to see how important milestones like that are. (Of course I am nowhere near that!)

This recipe looks amazing! I love recipes that step up the traditional brownie recipe!

Bookmarked this to try!

Reply
Ann October 2, 2011 - 2:21 pm

Thank you! Glad you liked the recipe 🙂

Reply
Thank you from Sumptuous Spoonfuls « Sumptuous Spoonfuls June 30, 2012 - 3:18 pm

[…] back to last September when I blogged these black and tan brownies when I reached 700 likes on facebook, I can’t believe how far this little blog has taken me […]

Reply
» Thank you from Sumptuous Spoonfuls Sumptuous Spoonfuls September 5, 2013 - 6:39 pm

[…] back to last September when I blogged these black and tan brownies when I reached 700 likes on facebook, I can’t believe how far this little blog has taken me […]

Reply

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