Chocolate and Szechuan Peppercorn Brownies Recipe

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease an 8x8 baking dish.

In a large sauté pan over medium heat, melt the 185 grams butter. Add the 1 tablespoon Szechuan peppercorns and 1 cinnamon stick. Let the butter foam and then subside, cooking until you see browned bits at the bottom of the pan, about 5 minutes. Take the pan off the heat. You can strain the butter to remove the peppercorns and cinnamon stick, then return just the infused butter to the pan.

While the butter is infusing, melt the 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate and 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips together in a double boiler or microwave. Stir in the 1 tablespoon espresso until combined.

Stir the 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon milk, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt into the warm, infused butter in the pan. Then, stir in the 3/4 cup cocoa powder and the melted chocolate-espresso mixture. Beat in the 3 eggs one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated. Finally, stir in the 3 cups flour until just combined, being careful not to overmix.

Pour the brownie batter into the prepared 8x8 baking dish. Bake for about 25–30 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. If you like a fudgier brownie, pull them out when the tester still has a few moist crumbs attached. Let the brownies cool completely before spreading the ganache.

To make the ganache, bring the 1/3 cup heavy cream and a fresh 1 tablespoon Szechuan peppercorns to a simmer in a small pot. Once simmering, strain out the peppercorns. Stir the 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips into the hot cream until smooth and glossy. Once the brownies are cool, spread the ganache evenly over them. For a firmer ganache, you can refrigerate the brownies for a bit after spreading.