Mexican Mocha Skillet Brownie

What's your favorite part of a brownie? Is it the soft, fudgy center? Is it the crisp edges? Is it the way vanilla ice cream melts into the still-warm cracks? For me, it's ALL of those things, which is why I am obsessed with skillet brownies. Every serving is a perfect combination of the best part of a brownie, and you get the bonus of a fun presentation to boot.

This recipe, which utilizes my Mexican Hot Cocoa Mix, a seasonal item I offer during the chilly Fall/Winter months, is both sweet and spicy and absolutely perfect. It's the kind of dessert for which you consciously eat less during dinner because you know this is in your near future.

If you can't get your hands on a jar of my Mexican Hot Cocoa Mix, you can kinda/sorta get close by adding 1/2 cup granulated sugar and whisking 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper into the flour mixture before mixing with the melted chocolate mixture. It won't have quite the depth of flavor as the original recipe, but it will satisfy your craving until you can get your hands on some of my Mexican Hot Cocoa Mix again. And if you aren't a fan of spice in your desserts, you can leave out the Mexican Hot Cocoa Mix altogether and simply add 1/2 cup of granulated sugar.

Let's get baking, shall we??

Mexican Mocha Skillet Brownie

Makes one 10-inch skillet brownie (which will serve as many as 10 and as few as one - that part is up to you) **

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter

• 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided

• 2 tablespoons neutral oil (I like grapeseed or sunflower)

• 3 large eggs

• 2 teaspoons instant coffee powder

• 1 cup packed light brown sugar

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 1/2 cup Mexican Hot Cocoa Mix

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

• Vanilla ice cream (optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Heat the butter and 6 ounces of the chocolate chips together in a medium heat-proof bowl set over simmering water and stir until the chocolate melts. Remove the bowl from the heat and allow to cool for 15 minutes. In a large bowl, stir (do not beat) together the oil, eggs, coffee powder, sugar, Mexican Hot Cocoa Mix, and vanilla. Stir the melted chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and set aside to cool to room temperature.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, the salt, the baking powder and the remaining chocolate chips and stir it into the chocolate mixture. Spoon the mixture into a greased 10-inch cast iron skillet. Bake for 35 minutes. Don’t overbake! A toothpick inserted in the center will not come out clean, but the brownie will continue to cook as the hot skillet cools down. Serve warm with a scoop of ice cream.

** To make a larger batch using a 13x9 baking dish, simply double the recipe and add 10-15 minutes to your bake time.