As the warm weather of summer slowly sunsets into the chilly reezes of fall, we like to transition from cool, sunny popsicles, to rich, decadent brownies that warm the soul. Which is why in this issue we’re featuring a recipe that is an unbeatable sweet and salty triple threat of beer, bacon and brownies.

Depending on your dietary preferences, however, you can leave off the bacon, and it’ll be just as delicious!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED
♦Bacon, 5 slices (optional)
♦Porter of your choice, ½ cup
♦Dark chocolate, 11/3 ups, roughly chopped
♦Cocoa powder, ¼ cup
♦Sugar, 21/3 cups
♦Unsalted butter, 1 cup
♦All-purpose flour, 1¼ cups
♦Eggs, 2
♦Egg yolks, 2
♦Vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon
♦Salt, ½ teaspoon
♦Smoked paprika, ¼ teaspoon

GET COOKING
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and grease or coat a baking pan with cooking spray. Depending on your preferences, you can use a pan that is either 9-by-13 for thinner brownies, or 9-by-9, if you like your brownies to be thicker.

2. In a pan over medium-high heat, cook your bacon until crispy. Remove from heat, roughly chop the bacon and set aside on a papertowel- lined plate. Next, using a double boiler over medium heat, combine the butter and chocolate
until just melted. Remove it from the stove and add in the beer,stirring until fully incorporated.

3. Now, drink the beer that remains in the bottle or can, and wasn’t needed for this recipe.

4. Whisk together the sugar, vanilla, eggs and yolks until fluffy, in a large bowl. Continue to whisk
slowly as you add in the chocolate mixture. Slowly incorporate the cocoa powder, salt, smoked paprika and fl our. Be careful to not over mix your batter at this step, as it will create air bubbles, ruining this recipe’s signature ooey-gooey texture.

5. Pour the brownie batter into your prepared baking dish and top it evenly with the chopped bacon, if desired.  Bake for approximately 40 to 50 minutes—less time for the larger baking dish and more time if you are using a 9-by-9 baking dish.

6. Allow to cool before cutting and enjoy!