Bourbon Pecan Fudge Brownies

One of my good friends has a birthday this month. She loves bourbon and pecans, so I knew I had to make this recipe from Love & Olive Oil for her birthday treat. These definitely are a fudge brownie, not at all like a cake brownie. Personally, I'm still not a huge fan of nuts in brownies, so I'm not sure I'd go the pecan route for me ... but these are for her.

Bourbon Pecan Fudge Brownies
1/4 cup flour
1/3 cup dark cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. fine sea salt
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into cubes
5 oz. dark or bittersweet chocolate (70-75%), finely chopped
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
3 Tbsp. bourbon (or homemade bourbon vanilla)
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips or chunks, plus more for topping
3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans, divided
Flake sea salt, for topping

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, and lightly butter parchment.

Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Combine butter and chopped chocolate in a saucepan. Stir over low heat until chocolate is almost melted. Remove from heat, and continue to gently stir until smooth. Whisk in sugar until incorporated. Whisk in eggs, one at a time, until batter is smooth and shiny. Whisk in bourbon.

Sprinkle dry ingredients over top of melted chocolate mixture, and stir until just incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips and 1/2 cup of pecans. Spread into prepared pan, using a spatula to smooth batter into corners. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup pecans, chocolate chips and flake sea salt, as desired.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until top is shiny and crackly and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out mostly clean. Cool on a wire rack for until completely cooled before slicing into squares. (Refrigerate for an hour before cutting for the neatest slices.) Brownies will keep, refrigerated in an airtight container, for up to 5 days. Makes 16 brownies.