Brownies Mascarpone Espresso (Printable Recipe)
Chocolate brownies stacked with whipped mascarpone and ladyfingers soaked in espresso, making every bite a rich treat.
# Ingredients You'll Need:
→ Brownie Base
01 -
100 g all-purpose flour
02 -
100 g brown sugar
03 -
150 g granulated sugar
04 -
4 large eggs, let them warm up first
05 -
230 g unsalted butter, in cubes
06 -
50 g natural cocoa powder
07 -
100 g dark or semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
→ Mascarpone Cream
08 -
0.5 teaspoon vanilla extract
09 -
50 g powdered sugar
10 -
200 g very cold whipping cream
11 -
250 g chilled mascarpone cheese
→ Ladyfinger Soak
12 -
12 ladyfingers
13 -
1 tablespoon coffee liqueur or dark rum, totally optional
14 -
150 g hot water
15 -
2 teaspoons espresso powder
→ Topping
16 -
1 tablespoon cocoa powder for dusting
# Steps to Follow:
01 -
Right before you cut and serve, shake some cocoa powder over the top using a fine sieve. Grab the parchment to pull everything out, then slice into squares. Wipe your knife off between cuts if you want sharp edges.
02 -
Pop the whole thing in the fridge for at least an hour so the cream sets up nice and the ladyfingers soak properly.
03 -
Drop all that mascarpone mixture onto your ladyfingers and spread it out nice and even with an offset spatula.
04 -
Quickly dip each ladyfinger into your espresso mix, just one second on both sides, shake off the extra, then arrange them evenly on top of your brownie bottom.
05 -
Grab a shallow bowl, stir together that espresso powder, hot water, and, if you like, a splash of coffee liqueur or rum till it’s all mixed up.
06 -
Whip the cold mascarpone in a big bowl till it's smooth. Toss in the cold cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Beat everything until thick — tilt the bowl and it should hardly budge. Takes about 5–10 minutes.
07 -
Scrape your batter into the lined pan. Smooth it flat. Bake 28 to 30 minutes. When a toothpick poked in the center comes out with a couple sticky crumbs, pull it out. Let it cool on a rack in the pan.
08 -
Tip in the flour and gently stir with a spatula just until mixed in. Stop once you can't see dry flour — don't overdo it.
09 -
Keep whisking while you slowly pour the warm chocolate blend into the eggs and sugars. Mix until totally together.
10 -
In a big bowl, crack in the eggs, then dump both sugars in. Whisk with an electric mixer for about 3 minutes, until it's all one smooth, pale mix.
11 -
Toss the chopped chocolate and cocoa powder into a medium bowl. Pour the hot browned butter right on top. Don’t stir yet — give it 3 minutes to melt. Then mix until creamy.
12 -
Throw the butter cubes into a saucepan over medium. Melt completely, then wait for bubbles and a nutty smell. Milk solids will drop to the bottom and turn golden. Take it off the heat once this happens.
13 -
Heat your oven to 175 C. Line a 23x23 cm baking pan with some parchment, making sure the bottom and sides are covered. Set it aside for now.
# Extra Tips:
01 -
Using browned butter gives your brownies a toasty, nutty kick and really steps up the flavor.
02 -
When dipping ladyfingers, go quick or they'll get mushy. One second works great.
03 -
Chilling the finished treat helps it hold together and slice up super neat.