Lucca Cafe's Brownies

By carvalhohm

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 pound salted butter
• 5 eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons almond extract
• 1 1/2 tablespoons instant coffee
• 3 3/4 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 cups plus 2 1/2 tablespoons (7 ounces) flour
• 1 cup chopped walnut pieces

Details

Adapted from webmailb.netzero.net

Preparation

Step 1

Line 2 (9-inch) square baking pans with foil, and grease the foil.
Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

In bowl set over pot of simmering water, combine chocolate and butter, stirring frequently until melted and combined. Remove from heat and set aside.

In bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or in large bowl using hand mixer, beat eggs, vanilla and almond extracts, coffee and sugar over high speed until combined and mixture increases in volume (it will look almost like softened ice cream), 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the mixer.

Beat in melted chocolate and butter over low speed just until
combined. Add flour and nuts and stir just until incorporated.

Pour batter into pans, dividing evenly between 2 pans. Bake brownies until barely set: A crust will form on top, and
toothpick inserted will be very gooey (though not wet like
batter), 20 to 25 minutes.

Remove brownies and cool to room temperature, then refrigerate
brownies (still in pans) for at least 6 hours to chill and
fully set.

Ganache and Assembly:

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons milk
7 1/2 tablespoons salted butter
Prepared brownies
4 ounces white chocolate

Place bittersweet chocolate in large bowl.

In large saucepan, combine cream, milk and butter and bring to boil over high heat. Remove from heat. Pour mixture over chocolate and stir until chocolate is melted and combined with cream mixture, forming ganache.

Remove chilled brownies from refrigerator, and invert pans over cooling rack set over large rimmed baking sheet (sheet will catch excess ganache when it is poured over brownies). Peel the foil liner away from brownies.

Pour ganache over brownies, making sure it covers tops
of both batches (do not worry about the sides, as these will be
trimmed when the brownies are cut).

Set brownies aside to allow ganache to cool and set.

Melt white chocolate (place it in glass container and heat it
in microwave, stirring every 30 seconds or so, until completely
melted). Place white chocolate in a piping bag, coronet or
sealable plastic bag (after the chocolate is added to bag, trim
one of tips to desired size to make makeshift piping bag).

Streak brownies with white chocolate, then set them aside to give white chocolate time to harden.

Trim edges from brownies, then cut brownies into squares; each pan makes about 9 (3-inch) squares.