As many of you know, John's love for coffee is expansive.  He isn't limited to one flavor or roast, he will try any and all of them, and love them, too.  So, when Don Tomas reached out asking if I'd like to try some of their Nicaraguan coffee (shipped right to my door), I could not turn down the offer.  Or else, risk the wrath of the caffeine-deprived boyfriend.

This was about a month ago now but with Hurricane Sandy, my coffee got waylaid, never to be seen again.  Of course, by this point, I had already made the mistake of telling John we were getting this coffee.  He literally checked the mailbox every single day like a child waiting for Santa.  Finally, a new coffee was sent and arrived perfectly!  It was about 6 p.m. when we got it, too late for traditional coffee.

Undeterred, I set about incorporating it into a sweet treat for our dessert.  Brownies seemed like just the thing.  First, I made the coffee (our coffee pot allows us to make coffee "regular" or "strong", I made this one "strong").  Then I sort of played around with the ratios and hoped for the best.  Don't you always do this when you are baking?  I'm not a very precise person in the kitchen.  But in the end, these brownies were moist and flavorful. 
Don Tomas' Mocha Brownies*
Serves:  9 (9 brownies)
3/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 cup white sugar
1/4 cup melted butter
2 eggs
1/2 cup Don Tomas brewed coffee
2 teaspoons amaretto

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cocoa powder, and white sugar.  Mix until evenly incorporated.  Add butter, eggs, coffee, and amaretto.  Mix well until blended.  Pour into a 9x9 greased baking dish.  Cook for 15-25 minutes, until fully cooked through.  When a toothpick is inserted into the middle it should come out clean or just have a few small crumbs sticking to it. 

This is a play on a homemade brownie mix I will be sharing with you all later this month (you can thank me then)!

*Don Tomas sent us this coffee to review.  The opinions stated herein and the recipe are all my own and I thank Don Tomas for giving me the inspiration to create a favorite late-night treat!

Until the next time my oven is on...