Mayan-Spiced Brownies with Red Chile Chocolate Glaze & Lime Dulce de Leche

Hey everyone!
I am sorry this post is coming later than usual, I have been relatively busy with school, but needless to say, here it is!
This week's recipe is a complex, mayan spiced brownie! By mayan-spiced I'm talking about cinnamon, nutmeg, red chile, and even lime! All these flavors, mixed in with the bittersweet chocolate in the brownie, create a real south-of-the-border flavor family, and they all work together flawlessly. If you've ever had a Mexican chocolate bar or a Mexican hot chocolate, those usually utilize the same flavor family that I'm using in this recipe.

Here's the recipe!

Ingredients:

Brownies:
Makes one 9x13 pan of brownies

• 2 sticks of butter or margarine
• 2 cups of sugar
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla
• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup of cocoa powder
• 1 cup of all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp of baking powder
• 1/4 tsp of salt
• 1 1/2 tbsp of ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp of ground nutmeg
• 1 cup of pecans (optional)

Red Chile Chocolate Glaze:

Enough for one pan of brownies

• 8oz semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup (8oz) heavy cream (half & half if you want it at a thinner consistency)
• 1 1/2 tbsp of red chile powder, or to taste. (your preferred level of heat-- I used hot)
• 1/4 tsp of salt

Lime Dulce de Leche:

Makes enough for one pan of brownie:

• 1 14oz can of sweetened condensed milk
• 2 limes 

Procedure:

For the Dulce de Leche:

1. Place the can of condensed milk in a pot, and cover with at least 2 inches of water, boil for 2-3 hours, depending on how dark you prefer your dulce de leche.

   

   Make sure the can always has 2 inches of water above it.

2. Remove from water and let cool in can.
3. Open, place in mixing bowl, add the zest of 1 lime, and the juice of 2, mix well.

This was cooked for about 2 hours-- notice how light the color is.

For the Brownies:

1. Melt butter, and place into a large mixing bowl. Mix in sugar and vanilla. 
2. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat after each addition. Mix in cocoa powder.
3. Add baking powder, flour, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg and mix until well combined. DON'T OVER MIX-- it can make the brownies tough; and nobody likes a tough brownie :(
4. Stir in nuts, if using.
5. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, in a well greased pan,  for 30 to 35 minutes.
   
   
   

For the Chocolate Glaze:

1. Prepare a double boiler
2. Place cream and chocolate in the double boiler, add the salt and chile powder.
3. Mix the ganache until it is lump-free (who wants lumpy ganache?? not me) and taste to make sure it has the right level of heat for you.
   
   

For serving:

Once brownies have cooled, slice them into squares, and serve up with your spicy glaze and your spunky dulce de leche! Guaranteed to please! 

Go enjoy! Olé!