Reddit: Brown Butter Espresso Brownies

Sometimes you're just really craving a good brownie.  And sometimes you're just cruising Reddit, and your wish is granted.  I came across this luscious beauty and knew immediately that this was going to happen in my kitchen.  Each step of the process adds more and more flavor, until these are bursting with goodness.  And definitely don't skip the Maldon salt sprinkle at the end - this adds the something super special to the whole thing.

Note: I used Valrhona cocoa powder in my version, as I feel like it gives a really deep chocolate flavor.  If a 9x13-inch pan is too many brownies (is this even possible??), you can make a half recipe and use an 8x8-inch square pan.  If you can't find the espresso chips, you can of course use regular.

Brown Butter Espresso Brownies
From u/christophwelty on Reddit

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon espresso powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup Dutch process cocoa powder, sifted to remove lumps
1 cup espresso chocolate chips
Maldon sea salt, to finish

Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter and then proceed to cook it, stirring occasionally, until it browns and smells nutty. Remove from the heat and let set to cool slightly.

Add the sugars to the browned butter and mix well. Beat in each egg, one at a time. Mix in the espresso powder, salt, and vanilla paste. Stir in the flour and cocoa, taking care to mix just until combined completely.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle with the espresso chips. Bake for 23 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the top with the Maldon sea salt.