Panko Brownies

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray an 8 x 8 baking dish with cooking spray and line with enough parchment paper to leave a 1-2″ overhang on two of the dish’s sides.
2. Place 5 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the solids have browned and the butter smells nutty, 2-3 minutes. Whisk in 1 tablespoon miso paste and 1 tablespoon honey, then  turn off the heat. Stir in 1 1/2 cups panko and coat in the miso butter mixture. Remove 1/2 cup of the panko mixture and set aside. Spread the remaining panko evenly in the prepared baking dish. Wipe out the saucepan.
3. In the same saucepan, melt remaining 1/2 cup butter. Remove from the heat and whisk in 1/2 cup cocoa powder until smooth, then let the mixture cool for a few minutes. Stir in 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder and 1 1/2 cups sugar until well combined. Mix in 2 eggs and 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, then add in 3/4 cup flour and the kosher salt; stir until just combined with no remaining white streaks.
4. Pour the brownie batter evenly into the pan over the panko. Top with the remaining panko and use the back of your hand to gently press the crumbs into the batter. Sprinkle with a good pinch of flaky salt. Bake for 20 minutes, then tent a piece of foil over the brownies so the panko doesn’t burn (no need to seal the pan with the foil–just gently lay a piece of foil over the top). Bake for another 15-20 minutes, until the edges of the brownies are firm and the center set.
5. Let cool before cutting into squares or bars.

Notes:
I like to use a combination of black cocoa powder (the same stuff used in Oreos) for a deeply intense chocolate flavor, mixed with Guittard’s Cocoa Rouge. Use what you have, or experiment with some new cocoa powder.

I used miso paste from West Coast Koji for this batch. I’m obsessed with their maitake mushroom miso paste. Any white or yellow miso will work; use what you like.

— Recipe developed by Holly Haines