Guinness Brownies

Finished

We were talking about brownies at work the other day and I mentioned my Guinness Brownies. The Boy loves these and the MotH enjoys them as well, I think. They are based on Grace Neill's Chocolate and Guinness Brownies (from The New Irish Table), but I've changed the chocolate ratio and the amount of Guinness. I don't care much for chocolate, so I really make these for others to enjoy, but I will always have at least one. The are rich and chocolate flavored without being super sweet, which we all enjoy. Will you like them if you don't like Guinness, um, yes. I, on the other hand, happen to think that Guinness is one of the most sublime things on this lovely little planet. That, I'm sure, stems from the fact that I started drinking beer in England and had many (many) Guinness drafts at many (many) pubs across the Midlands and in London. They always say, "the alcohol cooks out," and in this case that is true (as opposed to rum cake - yuck), so no worries there. Just a rich, chocolate, coffee-ish, flavor and and excellent smooth texture for a simple (really) brownie.
Notes: there are a few sips of Guinness more than a cup in a bottle - enjoy.
Also, based on today, it is not easy to sift anything with the windows

My favorite!

open and the winds blowing. I'm covered in cocoa. ugh.

Flour and chocolate - sigh.

Here 'tis:
4 eggs
3/4 cup superfine sugar (take the same amount of granulated sugar and whir it up in the food processor, or not as you prefer)
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate
4 oz. semisweet chocolate
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1 cup Guinness Extra Stout (not Guinness draught - my preference anyway)

Preheat oven to 375˚F. In a mixer, blend eggs and sugar until light and fluffy. In a medium sauce over low heat, melt chocolates and butter (you can chop if you want, but it pretty much melts all the same anyway) stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and add to egg mixture. Mixing to combine.
Sift flour and cocoa together and mix into chocolate mixture. Whisk in Guinness a little at a time, until incorporated. Pour into prepared 8" x 8" pan (coat w/cooking spray or butter, either works). Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out of the center almost clean (key word there, almost). Remove from oven and cool on wire rack.
You can dust with confectioners' sugar, but I usually prefer not to. Your call.

I hate green beer...

wrong wrong wrong

and lots of things that have to do with St. Patrick's Day celebrations in the United States. Wearing green on a particular day is annoying. It's one of my favorite colors to wear, but not because of some basically made up holiday. Don't tell me what to do - I don't like it. And if any body pinches me, they get popped one right in the chin. Parades... groan. Maybe it's because by now, we've been through Mardi Gras and the whole Carnival season, which is a huge regional celebration, and seen plenty of parades - more parades than is ever necessary - adding a green themed one is just annoying. Everyone pretending to be Irish for the day must be an insult to those that truly are Irish. It's sort of silly, really. And the biggest travesty is green beer. Who would do something like that? It's ridiculous, it's insulting to good beer, and it's just plain moronic. 

If you're going to celebrate St. Patrick's day, drink a real Irish beer - and the first one that comes to mind is one of my favorite beers of all time - Guinness. Guinness is complex. It's rich, slightly thick, tastes of coffee and chocolate and is creamy and smooth. It might be an acquired taste, but I think if people just went to it with an open mind instead of the "I don't like dark beer" mind set, it might be an easier transition from pale green swill that has been dyed green. 
So stop with the green beer already. 
Please.