Preheat your oven to 350?F / 180?C and line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper.

Melt the butter and chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring in between, until fully melted. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the sugar and eggs and whisk until thick and custard-like.

Pour the melted chocolate mixture into the egg/sugar mixture, add the vanilla, and gently whisk until fully incorporated.

Dissolve the espresso powder in a splash of hot water and mix until smooth, then pour into the brownie batter and stir until combined.

Sift the flour and salt into the bowl and fold everything together until no lumps remain.

Pour the brownie batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes.

Let the brownies cool completely in the pan, then transfer to the fridge until ready to assemble.

In a bowl, mix the mascarpone, powdered sugar, amaretto, and vanilla together until smooth.

In a separate bowl, whip the cream until stiff peaks form.

Fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture until combined.

Remove the brownies from the baking pan and peel back the parchment paper.

Transfer the mascarpone cream to a piping bag or spread it evenly on top of the brownies using a spatula.

Dust the top of the brownies with cocoa powder.

Slice the brownies into 16 equal pieces.