Porter Brownies with Smoked Salt and Cream Cheese Frosting

recipe from beer girl cooks
yield: 8x8 pan

Brownies

1 cup smoked porter beer
8 oz butter, room temp
1/2 cup cocoa powder
5 large eggs, room temp
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 tbsp vanilla
1/4 teaspoon smoked salt, fine grain
1 cup milk chocolate chips

Heat oven to 325F.

Pour beer into a saucepan with fairly high sides, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer until reduced to a 1/4 cup. When beer is reduced, add butter and cocoa powder to the same pan and cook over low heat until butter is melted while stirring until the mixture is smooth then set aside to cool slightly.

In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, and salt.

Add eggs to chocolate butter beer mixture, whisking them in one at a time.

Stir vanilla into the chocolate mixture.

Stir the flour mixture into the chocolate butter beer mixture until just combined.

Line a 8 x 8 inch square pan with parchment paper or grease the pan with butter then pour in the brownie batter.

Sprinkle the milk chocolate chips on top of the brownie batter.

Bake for 35 - 35 minutes, cool completely.

Frosting

6 ounces cream cheese, room temp

3 oz butter, room temp
3 cups confectioners sugar
2 tsp vanilla

While the brownies are baking, make the frosting. Add remaining one stick of butter and cream cheese to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat until smooth; then add the vanilla. Add confectioners sugar one cup at a time and beat until smooth. 

Top cooled brownies with cream cheese frosting.  Sprinkle a small amount of smoked salt across the top of the frosting.