Extra Fudgy Frosted Hazelnut Espresso Brownies

This post is sponsored by Gourmesso

I wouldn’t call coffee something I drink so much as something I do. It’s as much a part of my morning as brushing my teeth and my afternoon as checking the mail. The whole day feels off, wrong, without it. It’s not even that I can’t wake up without it; in fact, I’m kind of sure the caffeine doesn’t even register anymore because Sabrina and I will pick up venti iced coffees at 10pm and be fine to go to bed at midnight.

I started drinking it in high school, back in the days when Dunkin’ Donuts added real sugar crystals to iced coffee, and they’d all fall to the bottom of my cup and every sip had a little sweetness and grit to it. I loved that. I miss that.

But my love for coffee has only grown since then–from college when I became a regular drinker (and peer-pressured Sabrina to start, too), to living in Rome when I developed a four-espresso-a-day habit, to Seattle where coffee is just part of the culture. In Seattle, I started ordering Americanos–shots of espresso mixed with hot water. I liked the boldness and strength of the espresso. I still do.

When I moved to New York, I got away from espresso, mostly because the coffee shops are all so busy that I’ll do anything to avoid ordering a drink that takes more than a quick pour.

Still, I love a good espresso. The one way I can always work it into my life is in any chocolate-containing recipe. Espresso and chocolate go together like peanut butter and fluff. Of course there’s the espresso-chocolate fusion we know as mocha, where the chocolate has a pronounced coffee flavor, but if you add just a bit of espresso (brewed or instant espresso powder) to chocolate batter (cake, cookies, brownies), you don’t impart much espresso flavor; instead, you intensify the chocolate. The espresso isn’t as much a flavor as it is a way to deepen and darken the cocoa. In short, it’s a small miracle worker.

Gourmesso recently sent me some of their coffee and espresso capsules, which are bold, smooth, and intense–and all made to be compatible with Nespresso machines. I knew exactly what I wanted to do with them (beyond drink them all): make the richest, fudgiest brownies, with a shot of espresso for extra oomph. I brewed up 1 capsule of Gourmesso Bolivia Pura Mezzo espresso and used the small cup function on my Nespresso machine to make roughly 2 tablespoons to add to my nearly flourless brownie batter. This espresso is fairtrade, low in acidity, and even has notes of chocolate–perfect for brownies.

Some recipes call for more cocoa powder than chopped chocolate and those kinds end up with a cake-ier texture, but I prefer something denser, fudgier. That’s why these brownies have a staggering amount of chopped dark chocolate and an intense chocolate flavor.

Now, obviously I had to frost them because as Daniel sometimes reminds me, I “have a tendency to go overboard.” Right. So I slathered the brownies in chocolate hazelnut spread. Why hadn’t done this before? It was the most simple frosting, and yet I couldn’t have made or even dreamed up something better…especially for espresso fudge brownies.

I was ready to eat one just shy of immediately, but I took an extra minute to brew a cup of Gourmesso’s hazelnut Soffio Nocciola coffee.

If you’re not already drinking espresso and adding it to all of your chocolate desserts, is it wrong of me to be the one to peer pressure you into it?

I feel like you’ll thank me later.

 

Print

Extra Fudgy Hazelnut Espresso Brownies

Yield: 12 Brownies

Serving Size: 1 Brownie

Calories per serving: 269

Fat per serving: 17g

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 Gourmesso espresso capsule
• , brewed and cooled (2 tablespoons; brew on the small cup setting*)
• 6 ounces 60% baking chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 cup chocolate hazelnut spread

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with foil or parchment paper. Spray the foil or parchment with cooking spray.
2. In a small bowl, whisk the flour and salt.
3. In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate and butter and microwave on high for 1 minute. Stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Stir in the 2 tablespoons of espresso. Whisk in the sugar until smooth. Add the eggs, whisking only until incorporated and smooth. The more you beat the eggs here, the more air you'll add to the batter and the less fudgy your brownies will turn out, so try to only whisk the eggs in as much as you need to.
4. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the flour mixture just until combined and no white clumps remain. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the pan comes out with just a few fudgy crumbs, 28 to 32 minutes.
5. Let the brownies cool completely on a wire rack. Remove from the pan by lifting the foil or parchment and frost with the chocolate hazelnut spread. Cut into 12 squares. Serve with your favorite brewed Gourmesso coffee or espresso capsule.

Notes

Nutrition Information: Calories 269, Fat 17g, Carb 30g, Fiber 2g, Sugars 23g, Protein 3g

*Brew the Gourmesso espresso capsule on your Nespresso machine using the small cup button, then measure 2 tablespoons to add to the batter.

3.1

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This post is sponsored by Gourmesso

A day of baseball and cross country

Yesterday, we had our second cross country meet; but first, the boys had a baseball game. Thankfully, Jerry was off this weekend, because we had a lot going on. At around 8:30 yesterday morning, we all got in the car to head to the game. I brought Joey with us, because I brought him to all the summer games and he really likes going.

Yesterday's game was at a different park, which was about 30 minutes away. The kids had practice before the game, so we were there an hour before the game started. When we began walking to the field, someone who works at the park came up to us and said that dogs weren't allowed. I had no idea!  So, I had to drive Joey all the way back home, and drop him off, then drive all the way back to the game. I made it back just in time.

Their first game was two weeks ago, and I wasn't able to go because I was at Nathan's 50K. Last weekend, their game was canceled due to rain. So this was my first time watching their fall ball game. I always get nervous watching them play, but yesterday, I learned that they are allowed to steal bases now (they have never been able to do that before). Noah was the starting pitcher, and every time someone would steal a base, I felt really bad for him. Noah throws good pitches, which always makes the game interesting, because kids actually hit the ball (the worst games are the ones where everyone is either walking or striking out).

My nerves were totally shot while watching him pitch, because it seemed like the other team was constantly rounding the bases. Our team didn't do very well at batting this game, either, and the final score ended up being 15-1! It was hard to watch. ;)

After the kids' game, we went home to have some lunch. Jeanie was just arriving in town from Illinois, so we stopped at my parents' house to see her for a little bit before going to the meet. The meet was at the State Park, and I was shocked to see cars backed up for a couple of miles out onto the main road! I didn't remember the meet being so huge last year. Thankfully, I still made it in time, but not as early as I would have liked. I LOVE the back of my cross country shirt, by the way:

"Our blood, our sweat, your tears"

This meet had the boys and girls running separately. The girls started first, and then 20 minutes later, the boys lined up. I stayed at the starting line with the boys, while Renee went to the finish line to cheer on the girls as they came in. We could see the girls from where we were standing, so I got all of the boys to cheer for them as they ran past.

The boys lined up, and I had them do a couple of strides (running out about 20-30 yards and then running back to the starting line). They had seen the older kids doing it, so I think it made them feel cool ;) The gun was fired, and the boys took off. I quickly made my way over to the finish line, because the race was only 1.15 miles, so it wouldn't be long before they finished. Jerry, Nathan, and my mom were there also, so we lined up to cheer.

A couple of minutes after we got there, we saw a girl finishing up her race--she was crying, and she had her coach (I think) and maybe her dad with her as she moved through the chute. We started clapping for her, and then the whole crowd started clapping and yelling words of encouragement. Of course, I got all emotional watching it.

Just a couple of minutes later, the boys started finishing. The first boy came FLYING past, and I was just amazed at his speed and his running form. He looked like an elite, and his feet were barely touching the ground. Renee's son, Ben, was the first boy from my team to come through (her whole family is really fast!). Each time I saw one of the boys from my team, I started reminding them, "Cheetah! Cheetah! Cheetah!"--because I'd told them that once they see the finish line, they should run like a cheetah (sprint) to finish. It was really fun to watch, and I was super proud of all of them!

Noah hit a big milestone, running an 8:56 pace! It was his first sub-9:00 mile. Last year, his pace for this same meet was 9:38. He really improved a lot, especially considering he didn't train all summer ;)  Eli did really well, too, finishing in 13:58 (a 12:09/mile pace, about 20 seconds per mile faster than his first meet on Wednesday).

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Don't forget! Tomorrow is Motivational Monday, so if you have a photo to submit, please get that to me tonight. I will be getting the post ready tomorrow morning, because I have a busy day tomorrow.

THIS Is Why I Run

I’m lying on my couch right now, with my little dog and my iced coffee by my side and a bit of the cool fall air coming in through my window, and I am CONTENT. (Even though I am Team Summer for life, even I can appreciate a pretty fall day…so long as I can still wear my favorite flip flops.) I’m signed up for a T-Swift vs. Katy Perry Soul Cycle ride later for recovery and for a little Sunday night rocking. I have a day full of what my friend Karen calls “Life Admin” ahead, and I’m truly happy about a productive little Sunday.

But yesterday! Yesterday I had the kind of morning that reminded me just why I do this running thing.

Why I choose to wake up at the ass crack of dawn on the weekends to get my miles in. 

Why I carefully monitor everything I eat the day before to avoid any stomach issues on the run.

Why I ingest those weird foil packets of sugar and slather my body with Aquaphor to avoid chafing. 

Yesterday, I had 17 miles planned. I’ve run that long quite a few times by now, but it still makes me nervous, especially since my training has been so compressed this time. There’s so much that can go wrong when you’re running FOR HOURS. But after a little freakout in the morning, I chose to focus on the positive.

I was choosing to do this run. It was a beautiful day. My back healed remarkably well. I was meeting up with Megan (aka MegaNerdRuns for any of you who remember her blog!) and some coworkers to run this city. 

I hadn’t done a Nike Run Club long run since 2011, which is when I met Gia! (Side note: I am currently wearing the same sweatshirt as I was in that post.) But I knew I didn’t want to run alone, so I ran up to Niketown and then ran around midtown a bit in circles to get to three miles before we started.

This is after, but it was about that crowded before, too. (P.S. If you’re on Snapchat, I’m theodorable211.)

I’ve run thousands of miles through this city, but this was a brand-new route for me. We started at the store, went over the Queensboro, through a bit of LIC, over the Roosevelt Island Bridge, a loop around Roosevelt Island, BACK to LIC, BACK over the Queensboro, up First Ave for a bit, the lower loop of Central Park and back to the store. Thank god we never lost our pacer, because there were a lot of turns there!

With all of those bridges, it was definitely a challenging route! Considering I’m also running NYC, it was great for me to get some hills/bridges in. I haven’t seen Megan in probably at least two years, but we just chatted and caught up like it was yesterday, and it was great! We also made a few buddies in our pace group, including one very cute guy. We were in the 9:30 pace group, which ended up being just right for both of us. Sometimes we were running a little too fast (I’d look down and see sub-9 miles and rein it back in), but the stoplights must have slowed us down because I ended the run with an average pace of 9:39. 

The last NRC long run I did years ago was frustrating because they went way faster than advertised, but yesterday’s run was right on pace AND they had set up a few awesome water stops for us. 10/10, would run again. My only gripe was that there was a race on Roosevelt Island while we were running there, and the race organizers seemed pissed (rightly so) that hundreds of runners were running through the island while they were trying to put on a race. You would think that Nike would have looked into something like that before bringing hundreds of people there?

I am so happy to report that everything felt great the entire time. I was able to keep a conversational pace, and I really only felt spent the last two miles. But I think that’s because my fueling was a bit off: I took a gel at mile 6 of the long run, which was really my mile 9, and probably could have used another one around mile 15 or so. But that’s what training is for — figuring those things out before the big day. 

STRAIGHT CHEESING + weird face contorting?

Most importantly, I found my marathon outfit: these shorts + this top. Done and done.

YES!

Tell me about an awesome run you had lately where everything just fell into place. 

Related posts:

1. Wineglass Week 5 Training: A Run is a Run
2. The Run That Finally Clicked
3. rave run!

Waggin' Train dog treats giveaway!

This post is sponsored by Purina, but opinions are honest, as always. In fact, I can honestly say that I didn't even taste these review treats ;)

Joey recently got a big package in the mail from Purina. It's so funny when a big box comes in the mail, because all of my pets (three cats and the dog) come into the room while I'm opening it. They're all so curious! Estelle jumps into the box before I've even taken anything out; Phoebe sits and stares at me, like she's waiting for me to give her something; Chandler walks around the box and sniffs it; and Joey just gets really excited while I pull the tape and packaging off. It's funny how pets just know that something is new or different in the house! 

This time, the package was for Joey... lucky dog ;)

He received three bags of Waggin' Train treats--the Chicken Jerky Minis, the Homestyle Chicken Jerky Tenders, and the Chicken Jerky Curls. Joey and Estelle went nuts when they smelled the packages, so they must have been able to smell that they were something yummy. I gave Joey one of each treat right away, and he loved them*.

*In full disclosure, Joey has never met a treat he didn't like. In fact, he'll eat cat poop right out of the litter box if I forget to close the door.

I like giving Joey jerky treats like these, because they take longer for him to eat. When I give him a soft bite-sized treat, he practically swallows it whole; but the jerky takes him at least a minute or two to eat, so I feel like he gets to savor it a little more (and I have a chance to put the bag away before he comes begging for more). 

Estelle is extremely vocal, and she was definitely protesting that Joey got all the treats. So, I cut off a tiny bit of a Chicken Jerky Curl to give to her, which satisfied her. Phoebe claimed the cute wooden crate that came in the box:

I love the look she's giving Joey! Like he has no right to be near that box. Poor dog just wants to play with her. That box has gotten so much use, though! When Phoebe isn't in it, Chandler is.

He looks stoned, doesn't he? Haha

And, of course, Joey is loving the new treats. We have been working for a long time to get him tolerant of us trimming his nails. Right from the get-go, when we adopted him, he was TERRIFIED of nail trimmers. He would flip out when I even came near him with the trimmers.

So, I started "desensitizing" him, first by just touching his paws while giving him a couple of treats. Then, I started showing him the nail trimmers while giving him treats. Next (this was literally two months after I started--a long process), I was able to start to touch his paws with the trimmers (if I gripped his paw too tightly, though, he would flip out again). I basically wanted to let him see that there was nothing to be scared of, and nail trimmers = treats. Recently, we've been able to trim just a hair's width of nail from a few of his nails. I don't want to risk getting the quick, so I've been very careful not to trim much at all. I'm sure if I accidentally got the quick, he'd NEVER trust me again.

His nails are pretty long right now, but he's gotten so much better about letting me touch them. I've been trimming the cats' nails for years, and they don't mind it at all. I'm hoping that with enough treats, Joey will eventually get that way, too! 

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Anyway, Purina has generously offered to give away three packages of their new Waggin' Train treats to not just one, but FIVE winners! Five lucky dogs will receive one bag of each of the following treats:

"Waggin' Train Chicken Jerky Minis--Made using real white meat chicken, with just two simple ingredients and sliced into fun-sized pieces. No artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives are added. 

Waggin' Train Homestyle Chicken Jerky Tenders--Made with real chicken that is slow cooked and then covered in little jerky bits of chicken to make it both crunchy and chewy. Made with just two simple ingredients, this product has no artificial colors, flavors, or ingredients. 

Waggin' Train Chicken Jerky Curls--These 100% real treats are made with just two simple ingredients and are twisted into fun shapes that you can toss and flip 'til your dog's heart is content. The product has no artificial flavors or preservatives."

I wish I could tell you which was Joey's favorite, but he likes all treats equally--A LOT.

To enter the giveaway, please fill out the form below. One entry per person. Sorry, guys, but this is open to U.S. entrants only. Five winners will be randomly selected on Saturday, October 3rd at 10:00 AM ET. I will notify winners by email. Good luck!

ShiftCon Blog Conference Recap 2015

Hello! I just spent the day at ShiftCon – it’s an eco blogging conference that focuses on wellness, health, environment and more. There are tons of awesome bloggers and social media rockstars and companies that I saw and talked with. (This was the second year of the conference. I missed it last year.)

(StitchFix Dress)

The conference was in Los Angeles. Well, it was in Manhattan Beach but there might be a city of the same name somewhere else in the world so we’ll say LA for now. And now I’ve made it extra wordy for no reason.  Anyway. I used to work in Torrance and drive through this area when I was in college so it brought back some happy lil memories. It was a good time in my life.

Okay, back to ShiftCon…

I started the day at a session about Omega-3s. It was crazy good! I learned about the difference between Omega 6s and 3s and where to get each and why they’re important and more. You know it’s a good session when the time flies and you didn’t even realize it’s over but you’re not ready to leave. I have turned into such a healthy living nerd. I don’t care.

Then we did shots of cod liver oil with smoothie chasers.

The Expo was full of vendors offering information about products that were all natural, non-toxic or non-GMO.

All natural deodorant – I told these people, “I really smell, but I’ll try it…”

Talked to the owner and creator of this lemonade with stevia.

This granola has some sort of addictive additive in it, I believe it’s called ‘peanut butter’.

Passed by the popcorn stand 4 times. Maybe 5.

I was like, “Dia de los muertos!” But they were like, “Halloween. “

This reminded me of what the Tarahumara Indians drink – chia, lime, sugar – right?

I got a ton of samples and am pretty excited to test some stuff out and report back. I’ve seen this set up at my local health food store and never really investigated. It was interesting to learn more about this and get some holistic supplements.

And I got the inside scoop about the most epic pumpkin product of the season… Pumpkin Puffins!!!! Have you seen these??

Available at Target. Goooooo!!!

Oh, and it was a super gorgeous day. No big. God Bless SoCal.

See you later!

Question: What are you up to this weekend?

The post ShiftCon Blog Conference Recap 2015 appeared first on Run Eat Repeat.

Old School Blogging

Do you read my friend Meggie’s blog? She’s a third-year OB-GYN resident (did I get that right, Meggie?), which means she basically doesn’t sleep. And yet she’s decided to start blogging more recently, and I love it. Just total stream-of-conciousness about her day and her life.
Sometimes, like tonight, I sit down and want to write but don’t have An Important Topic to write about. I spend all day at work trying to come up with sharable, clickable content and sometimes I just want to talk at you, cool? Cool.
So, I wouldn’t say work has slowed down at all, but we’ve all settled into our new normal, which includes getting in an hour earlier than we did before. Bosslady Jordan and I have gotten into the habit of going to Nike Run Club at 7am at least one day a week so that no matter how crazy work gets, we know we ran. It’s a nice little routine we have going on, and, well, you really can’t cancel on your boss. No matter how tight you are. Especially when she’s coming from Brooklyn early and you just have a few blocks to run to the store.
We had a long pitch meeting this afternoon, and then I ran home to walk B. Work was pretty empty, and so I decided to sneak him back in with me. Other than a little napping on the floor of the phone booth while I had a call, he basically sat on my lap for 3 hours. Cool life, lapdog.
I’m home resting up for my long run tomorrow. True story: I really like marathon training because it gives me a damn good reason to sit on my couch Friday night, which is my favorite Friday night plan.
Like the rest of this marathon business, I have mixed feelings about my 17-miler tomorrow. After my injury, I’m operating on a compressed training schedule. Last week I did 15, tomorrow I’ll do 17 and next week I’ll do 20. The week after that? 26.2. My legs felt sluggish during last week’s long run, so I’ve made an effort this week to sleep more, booze less, and eat more clean food.
We’re doing a “bodybuilding” challenge at work, and while I am not partaking in the bodybuilding part, I did input all of my measurements into a shared Google Doc with plenty of coworkers smaller than me. Thank god I’m in a decent place re:body image! I know I can afford to lose some weight, and I know the extra weight is 100% lifestyle choices (read: wine.) I’m back to tracking on MFP and it’s always eye-opening to see how those wine/sweets calories add up.
Running a marathon is already asking a ton of my body, but ESPECIALLY on this shortened training cycle. I’m trying to do the best I can to fuel my body well so it can take on this challenge, so I’m going to be nice to it.
How are you nice to your body?

Friday night bullets

I haven't done bullets in a while, and I love reading/writing bullet posts! This weekend is a super busy one, so here goes:

• Our cross country team had their first meet on Wednesday. All the kids finished and had fun! 

• It was Eli's first cross country meet, and he did awesome! He was really nervous, but he ran about a 12:30 pace, and did his best. I let him wear my Garmin, but he forgot to start it for a while, and then he forgot to stop it ;)

• I ran a little at cross country practice yesterday, and it went well. I just did a slow jog with the kids for about 2/3 of a mile, so I could check their running form. I think next week, I'll incorporate a couple of short runs for exercise. I'm kind of excited to do it!

• Speaking of running, I haven't missed it nearly as much over the last six weeks as I did the whole first half of the year. I think that's because I finally really started to enjoy bike riding, and finding ways to stay active without sticking to a rigid schedule. Before, I was so focused on what I couldn't do that I didn't even want to think about what I could do (that totally sounds like a line in a commercial or something).

• Yesterday, I helped my friend Andrea move across town. I've been seeing her quite a bit lately, and it feels good. We are very much alike in a lot of ways, and she is one of my most trustworthy and honest friends. 

• I'm having a hard time getting hooked on another book. I've started several in the past week, but they haven't really held my interest long enough to want to finish them. A lot of the newer books that were recommended to me are on hold at the library

• Likewise, I'm not watching anything on Netflix right now, either. I need a new series! (Well, I really don't *need* a new series to suck me in, but I kind of wish I had a go-to favorite show that I could watch in the evenings.

• Yesterday, I got a fun package (a "blogger box") in the mail from Shape magazine (and Brooks, the shoe company). I'm still amazed at all the doors this blog has opened for me! I've gotten introduced to some really great companies. This was in the box from Shape and Brooks:

• When I saw the Brooks Ghost shoes in the box, I thought there was no way they'd fit, because I have wide feet. But they fit perfectly, and I really like them (I LOVE the color)! I wore them to cross country practice yesterday, and they felt great. I still love my Altras, of course, but one of the things I learned from Golden (founder of Altra) is that it's good to have different shoes to rotate so that your feet don't get used to the same ones.

• Today, Jerry and I did a lot of yard work (well, mostly Jerry did it... I just kind of got in the way when I tried to help). After building the garage last fall, our yard looks terrible. We have piles of dirt that has to be spread out, bare patches with no grass, a TON of weeds, and broken up concrete from the driveway that has to be disposed of. 

• Jerry got creative with the concrete, and built a really big fire pit! I was very impressed.

• My job was to spray all the weeds with a weed killer. A tough job, but one of us had to do it ;)

• We really need to paint or stain our porches and deck, but that is a huge project. It may have to wait until spring.

• Today, I booked a boudoir photo session (insert "shocked" emoji here) for October 9th. I'm so nervous, but it's something I've been wanting to do since my early 20's. I've always thought I'm not thin enough or my skin isn't clear enough, or whatever... but I'm not getting any younger, and I'm feeling pretty good about my body right now, so I might as well just do it. Eek! 

• Tomorrow, the boys have a baseball game in the morning, and then a cross country meet in the afternoon. It's a busy day for them!

Anyone want to sum up your week/plans this weekend with a single bullet? :)