In honor of the new season coming out kind of recently, I figured I'd post about Thirteen Reasons Why. I have to confess that I've never actually seen the t.v. show. It is on my list of things to watch though. I first read this book back in 2008, which wasn't too long after it first came out, and have reread it three times since then. This book is heavy and dark and not easily put down.

So I had to make brownies. But, like the book, they couldn't be simple.

There's a scene where Clay goes to buy hot chocolate, but ends up buying coffee instead. So I added a bit of coffee extract, which didn't really give the brownies a coffee flavor so much as it made the brownies darker and richer.

There's also a scene at a place called "Blue Spot Liquor," where Hannah buys candy bars (46). Clay buys a Butterfinger, but Hannah doesn't remember what she buys.

I toyed with the idea of using Butterfingers, but I also wanted to add an alcohol to the brownies, and I couldn't think of a type that would pair well with the chocolate, coffee, and peanut butter. So I went with Milky Way.

The reason I wanted to use an alcohol was because drinking is mentioned quite a bit on Hannah's tapes. There are two parties where people are drinking, the second one especially. Hannah said there were people "just looking to get drunk and laugh," and mentions later on the tape that she had had a lot to drink (207-222).

My favorite alcohol to pair with coffee and chocolate is Kahlúa. But I didn't want it getting lost in the brownie, so I decided to make a chocolate sauce to go on top of it.

And I figured I'd put some ice cream on top of it too. It would help cut back some of the sweetness, while adding to the guilt you feel eating these. Because there's a lot of sugar in these brownies. And a lot of butter. And even more chocolate.

But guilt and regret are huge themes in this book, so it's only fitting that you feel both while eating a desert inspired by it.

So let's bake!

Milky Way Brownies

-1 1/2 c  all-purpose flour

-1 c  unsweetened cocoa powder

-1 tsp  baking powder

-2 tsp  salt

-1 c  unsalted butter

-3 c  white sugar

-4 tsp  coffee extract

-2 tsp  vanilla extract

-5 eggs

-12 fun-sized Milky Way

1. In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
2. Add in the Milky Way, and cook until completely melted.
3. Remove from the heat, and mix in the sugar.
4. Stir in the cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder.
5. Add in the coffee and vanilla extracts.
6. Beat in the eggs.
7. Mix in the flour.
8. Pour the batter into a prepared 13 x 9 pan (I line my pan with parchment paper and baking spray).
9. Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes.

Kahlúa Chocolate Sauce

-1/4 c  unsweetened cocoa powder

-3/4 c  white sugar

-1/8 tsp  salt

-1/4 c  water

-3 tbsp  Kahlúa

1. Stir the cocoa, sugar, and salt together in a small pot.
2. Add the water and cook on medium for 5-7 minutes.
3. Remove from the heat, and add the Kahlúa.
4. Let it cool then store in the refrigerator.

To assemeble this guilt-inducing, but oh-so-amazing brownie, you cut a piece off of the brownie, and it should be just slightly too big because you should be both nervous and excited to eat it. Then you scoop ice cream on top. Vanilla would probably be best, but chocolate, caramel, and coffee would all be amazing too. I used a vanilla with a caramel swirl. Finally, you drizzle the Kahlúa chocolate sauce all over the top. Eat the whole thing and feel a lot of regret about doing so, but be glad you never made it onto Baker's Dozen.