Browniebabe of the Month 2!

Okay, I probably should have gotten this post up in the month of May, but I'm still under the entry deadline by a few days. This week wasn't all that pleasant, so at least I got to end it on a chocolaty note. For this round of Browniebabe of the Month hosted by Myriam at Once Upon A Tart I decided to use a little regional flavor. I've named these Tex-Mex Brownies. I combined the flavor of Mexican chocolate with the fruits of the Texas state tree- pecans. These brownies were also the first thing I've baked with the incredibly fragrant and delicious Mexican vanilla extract that my lovely in-laws brought back from their recent vacation.

Tex-Mex Brownies
Recipe from me, adapted from a Martha Stewart recipe; Makes 16
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for pan
1 disc (3.15 oz.) Mexican Chocolate
5 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon Mexican pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pecan topping

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan or glass dish. Line pan with parchment paper, leaving a 1-inch overhang on two sides. Set aside. Place butter and all chocolates in large heatproof bowl set over pan of simmering water; stir frequently until butter and chocolates have melted. Remove bowl from heat and let cool to room temperature.
• Stir sugar into cooled chocolate mixture until combined. Whisk in eggs one at a time, whisking until smooth after each addition. Whisk in vanilla. Gently fold in flour and salt.
• Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Bake until cake tester inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs, about 50 minutes. Transfer pan to wire rack to cool completely. Apply pecan topping (see below) to brownies while the cool.
• Remove brownies from pan using parchment paper once brownies have cooled and topping has set. Cut and serve.

Sugar & Spice Pecan Topping

4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup pecans, whole, halves, or chopped

Melt butter in bowl in microwave. Stir in sugar and cinnamon and microwave on high 1 1/2 minutes. Stir pecans into mixture and microwave on high for 3 minutes, stirring twice throughout cooking time. Remove from microwave and spread across brownies.