Safia Olakes

Salted Espresso Brownie Bars With Whipped Dark Chocolate Coffee Ganache

- Safia Shakarchi

If a survey were carried out on the sweet treat most commonly ordered with a coffee, I’ve got a feeling the chocolate brownie would win by a mile.

As we explore in this issue, chocolate and coffee are incredibly well suited, and that’s particularly true in baking. You’ll often see coffee in recipes for chocolate cakes, cookies and brownies, but it’s not to add the flavour of coffee. The coffee actually brings out the depth, earthiness and intensity of the chocolate, meaning recipes containing coffee are even more chocolatey. As if we needed another reason to love coffee.

I’ve increased the coffee content in these rich, fudgey brownie bars to emphasise the espresso, and I’ve smothered them in whipped dark chocolate coffee-spiked ganache. They’re finished off with a sprinkling of sea salt for good measure, as salt makes chocolate seem even sweeter.