Have Just a Bite or a Whole Handful: Kahlúa Fudge Bites

Sadly, we recently had to say goodbye to one of my co-workers who was moving to the Midwest. I decided to make Abby Dodge's recipe for Kahlúa Fudge Bites as part of the menu for the going away party. Dodge says these bites are so rich that they are best cut into 1-inch squares for serving.

You mix the batter for these bars by hand. You melt butter; whisk in natural cocoa powder, brown sugar, eggs, and Kahlúa; fold in flour; and spread the batter in a 9-inch by 13-inch pan (I lined mine with parchment). After the bars are baked and completely cooled, you spread on a glaze made from bittersweet chocolate, butter, and corn syrup. I chilled the bars until the glaze was set before cutting the bars into 1-inch squares.
I think I might have overbaked my bars a bit, because they were not terribly fudgy and it would have been fine to cut them into normal serving sizes instead of tiny squares. However, they were freakin' delicious and I wouldn't change a thing. They had a very creamy, moderately fudgy texture that was not too rich. I had a hard time specifically making out the Kahlúa in the bar, but there was a certain complexity to the flavor and the soft-set chocolate glaze on top was the perfect finishing touch.

If you cut a 9-inch by 13-inch pan of bars into 1-inch squares, you get what seems like a crazy amount of servings. But these are quite addictive and easy to eat by the handful, so having too many of these fudge bites shouldn't be a problem! On the other hand, for folks with willpower, even a single bite is immensely satisfying.

Recipe: "Kahlúa Fudge Bites" by Abigail Dodge, from Absolutely Chocolate: Irresistible Excuses to Indulge; recipe available here at Fine Cooking.

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