An out-of-this-world treat! Stout and Espresso Caramel Sauce swirled between rich, chocolaty brownies and smooth vanilla ice cream.
Serves: 4
Difficulty: easy to moderate
Prep time: 50 min
Bake time: 18-20 min
Special tools: jumbo muffin pan (doz) or 8, 1-cup ramekins
Make ahead: freeze up to one week
Ingredients
Stout and Espresso Caramel Sauce
1 1/2 c stout beer, such as Lagunitas Imperial Stout
2 T unsalted butter
1/2 c packed brown sugar
1 c sugar
1 c heavy cream
1 T instant espresso powder
pinch of salt
Stout Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches
5 T all-purpose flour
pinch of salt
1/2 c stout beer, such as Lagunitas Imperial Stout
4 oz Callebaut bittersweet chocolate, chopped
5-1/2 T unsalted butter
1 egg
1/2 c sugar
2 c vanilla ice cream, such as Umpqua
1/4 c Stout and Espresso Caramel Sauce
Steps
Stout and Espresso Caramel Sauce
In a saucepan over medium heat, bring stout to a gentle boil; reduce to 1 c (approx. 10 min). Add butter and sugars and cook until syrupy (approx. 10-12 min), stirring only if mixture appears close to boiling over. Stir in cream and espresso powder; cook until it thickens (approx. 5 min). Remove from heat; stir in salt. Cool slightly; transfer to a heat-proof container. Refrigerate.
Stout Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease muffin pan or ramekins. In a mixing bowl, stir together flour and salt and set aside.
In a saucepan, bring stout to a gentle boil and reduce to 3 T. Microwave chocolate and butter for 1 min at 60% power. Stir and return to microwave for 40 sec on 60% power; stir and, if needed, microwave again in 30 sec intervals until melted.
In a medium bowl, whisk egg and sugar. Add chocolate, reduced stout and combine. Fold mixture into bowl with flour and salt until barely blended.
Divide batter evenly among 8 muffin holes or ramekins. If using ramekins, set on a sheet pan. Bake 12 min, then rotate pan and bake 6-8 min, until skin forms on top and brownies are set in the center. Cool 15 min; gently remove from pan or ramekins. Brownies may be frozen up to a week prior to using.
Place ice cream in a bowl; soften quickly with back of a large spoon, then drizzle chilled Stout and Espresso Caramel Sauce over ice cream. Fold ice cream over sauce to create a swirl. Freeze 10 min to firm up. Place 4 cooled brownies upside-down on work surface. Divide ice cream evenly among them and lightly press to flatten. Allow ice cream to reach the edges of the brownies. Top with another brownie, right-side up, to create a sandwich. Using a butter knife, smooth ice cream around the edges and return to freezer. Sandwiches will keep frozen up to a week if wrapped well.
To serve, drizzle with warm Stout and Espresso Caramel Sauce.
