Whiskey Brownies

Last weekend I made a quick trip down to Florida to celebrate my Grandfather's 95th birthday. Yes! 95! Isn't that amazing? Definitely reason to party.

I am his youngest grandchild and therefore the hippest (naturally.) So, I made him whisky brownies since I know he likes to sip whisky every Friday afternoon.

My Grandpa is a very cool kat and very special to me. Being the youngest grandkid, I didn't get to make as many memories with my grandparents as my older siblings did. But since my Grandpa will probably outlive us all, I've had tons of fun times with him. I especially love my memories of his old house being surrounded by orange trees and us picking some to make into orange juice for breakfast.

Speaking of breakfast, I totally had these brownies for breakfast. And dessert. And second helping of dessert. They are so good! Plus, these are a perfect idea for St. Patty's Day parties!

Whiskey Brownies (adapted from the NYTime's Supernatural Brownie recipe)
2 sticks (16 tablespoons) butter
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
4 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 and 1/2 cup flour
1 Tablespoon of whiskey for the batter
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or 3/4 cup whole walnuts, optional
2 tablespoons of whiskey for the topping

1. Butter a 13-by-9-inch baking pan and line with buttered parchment paper. (Erika's Extra: This recipe is so buttery I've never needed to use parchment paper.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In top of a double boiler set over barely simmering water, melt butter and chocolate together. Cool slightly. In a large bowl or mixer, whisk eggs. Whisk in salt, sugars and vanilla.

2. Whisk in chocolate mixture. Fold in flour just until combined. Pour in 1 Tablespoon of whiskey. If using chopped walnuts, stir them in. Pour batter into prepared pan. If using whole walnuts, arrange on top of batter.

3. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until shiny and beginning to crack on top. Remove from oven and pour 2 Tablespoons  of whiskey(more or less according to taste) over the top of the hot brownies. (This will create a fudgey topping.) Cool in pan on rack.

Bake well and prosper!