Aaron Sanchez's Mexican Brownies

• servings: 18 servings
• active time: 20 minutes
• total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

2 sticks unsalted butter, plus more for greasing

2 cups sugar

4 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2/3 cup good-quality unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground Mexican cinnamon (canela)

1/4 teaspoon pequen chili powder or cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides. Press the paper into the corners of the pan and lightly grease the paper with butter.

Melt the 2 sticks of butter in a nonstick saucepan over medium-low heat; do not boil. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Add the sugar, eggs and vanilla to the saucepan and stir with a wooden spoon until combined.

Add the cocoa, flour, cinnamon, chili powder, salt and baking powder and mix until smooth. Spread the batter in the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out fudgy, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack, then use the parchment paper to lift out the brownies before slicing.

Nutrition

• Calories: 226
• Total Fat: 12g
• Saturated Fat: 7g
• Cholesterol: 68mg
• Sodium: 82mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 30g
• Dietary Fiber: 1g
• Total Sugars: 22g
• Protein: 3g