Modern Farmer's Superhot Chili Brownies

This week, our friends at Modern Farmer will be sharing some of their most recent recipes, choosing a wildcard, and answering our questions. For more news on farming near and far, pick up an issue in Provisions.

Hot sauce is just behind social gaming and solar panel manufacturing as one of the faster-growing industries in the US. And that means the race is on to grow the craziest, baddest, hottest chile peppers -- called superhots by those in the highly competitive chili pepper-growing world. With names like Ghost Pepper and Carolina Reaper, these peppers will make you cry, drool, and even get sick if you aren't careful.

For more information on obsessive chili-growers and their insanely hot crops, read our full story. Or you could just make Lessley Anderson's spicy brownies.   

Superhot Brownies  

Makes one 9x13 pan   

4 eggs
1 1/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon espresso powder (optional)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
2 cups dark chocolate chips
1 to 2 pinches dried superhot chili pod (we used the Moruga Scorpion), ground to a powder, or other ground chili pepper of your choice  

See the full recipe (and save and print it) here.  

Photo by James Ransom.