In the spirit of our blog’s namesake, I thought it good timing to post one of my favorite comfort recipes.

More than a decade ago before I launched into public relations, I tried my hand in the professional pastry world to supplement my meager earnings as a journalist.  There I learned to spin the likes of sugar and ganache, a skill that later served me as I designed compelling news stories.  While the precise timing and pace of working in a kitchen has served me well throughout my PR career, one thing has served me better yet in those years and every morning since – coffee. Oh, blessed coffee…a publicist’s best friend.

Coffee is a popular addition to all types of cuisines, from slow cooked meats and marinades to deserts.  This recipe combines two of my favorite things in life, chocolate and coffee.  A perfect treat for the changing seasons.  Be sure to use the good stuff.

Coffee Brownies with Pecans
(Adapted from The recently deceased Gourmet)

• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 2 cups sugar
• 15 tablespoons (2 sticks minus 1 tablespoon) unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3 tablespoons finely ground Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee beans
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup pecan pieces
• 1 cup bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips (6 ounces)
• 6 tablespoons freshly brewed coffee
• 30 thin strips crystallized ginger

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Spray 13x9x2-inch metal pan with nonstick spray. Combine sugar, butter, cocoa, ground coffee, and salt in large metal bowl. Place bowl over saucepan of simmering water and whisk until butter melts and ingredients are blended (texture will be grainy). Remove bowl from over water; cool mixture to lukewarm if necessary. Whisk in eggs and vanilla. Sift flour over and fold in. Mix in pecans.

Spread batter in prepared pan. Bake brownies until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool brownies in pan.

Place chocolate chips in small bowl. Bring brewed coffee to simmer in small saucepan; pour over chips and stir until melted and smooth. Let ganache stand until cool and beginning to thicken, about 1 hour; spread evenly over brownies. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; let stand at room temperature.) Cut brownies into 15 squares. Top each with 2 ginger strips.

There you have it. Delicious brownies straight from the Spin Kitchen.