Mexican Cayenne Brownies

Ingredients

2 sticks unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 teas vanilla extract
⅔ cup good-quality unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon ground Mexican cinnamon (canela)
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp kosher salt
½ tsp baking powder

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Line a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides. Press the paper into the corners of the pan and lightly grease the paper with butter.

Melt the 2 sticks of butter in a nonstick saucepan over medium-low heat; do not boil. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Add the sugar, eggs and vanilla to the saucepan and stir with a wooden spoon until combined.

Add the cocoa, flour, cinnamon, chili powder, salt and baking powder and mix until smooth. Spread the batter in the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out fudgy, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack, then use the parchment paper to lift out the brownies before slicing.