I wonder if it’s just me, but I feel like February is the most uneventful month of the year. It is often overshadowed by two, action-packed months preceding it and noone really seems to get excited over what happens on the second month of the year. Sure, there are Super Bowl for men, Valentine’s Day for gals, and the President’s Day holiday for the kids, but if a year were a boy band, February would be that unknown kid quietly standing alongside breakout starts that noone cares about.

But then again, it may just be me. I don’t particularly care for Super Bowl, my boyfriend and I think Valentine’s Day is a hoax, and my work doesn’t even recognize the President’s Day as a company holiday. With exception of my father’s birthday (and this breathtaking song by Josh Groban), February is a relatively uneventful month at my household.

But I’m not going to rain on your parade, if February is a special month for you. Instead, I will share this wonderful brownies recipe that is perfect for the football-loving couch potatoes and lovebirds who cherish the Hallmark holiday. Happy February!

February Brownies
Makes about 16

This recipe was inspired by Martha Stewart’s Fudgy Chocolate Brownies recipe, with slight alterations by me. I swapped the regular white sugar with agave nectar and evaporated cane sugar and reduced the overall amount from 1-1/2 cups to just one. I also reduced the amount of chocolate chips and added some later for that chocolate-y consistency. I also added instant coffee mix to bring out the intense chocolate flavor. Both recipes are equally delicious. Try both and let me know what you think!

Ingredients
6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips (to be melted)
4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips (to be added later)
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
1/2 cup Agave Nectar
1/2 cup Evaporated Cane Sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons instant coffee
Pinch of salt

Instruction
Preheat the oven to 350 degree F. Grease the 9 x 9 baking pan with butter and line with bottom with parchment paper (don’t skip this step, otherwise you will cry when you try to get the brownie out of the pan later).

Melt together the 6 oz. of chocolate and butter in a double boiler on a medium high heat. Make sure to stir regularly to ensure that chocolate doesn’t burn. Once everything is melted, remove the bowl from the heat and let it cool for about 10 minutes.

Add the eggs, one at a time, and stir with a whisk. Add agave nectar, evaporated cane sugar, vanilla, and instant coffee and mix well. Add the flour and salt. Do not over-mix once you add the flour, as it produces a tough brownie. Simply pour the flour into the mixture and mix until everything is well incorporated.

Pour the mixture onto the lined baking pan and bake in the oven for about 30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let it cool before serving.

These brownies will last for about 3 days in a refrigerator but I promise you that they won’t last that long.

This is a recipe for those really ooey gooey brownies, closer to a chocolate fudge than a cake-y kind. If you like the dense brownies with intense chocolate flavors, this is the recipe for you! 🙂