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Frosted Brownies, my own recipe


I bake brownies regularly and have tried more recipes than I can count, including any number designated as “best brownie ever.” Most were delicious as, unless they are overbaked, it’s hard to ruin a brownie. I’ve even had box-mix brownies that were good.

Nevertheless, I have my own recipe and it’s a bit different but has become one of Scott and my favorites. My recipe makes a thin brownie, but see below for thicker options. 

Here's the recipe (and it will likely work with a gluten-free baking flour):

Brownie

2 eggs

¾ cup sugar

1 t. vanilla

½ cup butter

1 round of Mexican chocolate

2/3 cup flour

½ t. cinnamon

¼ t. baking powder

Pinch of slat

¼ cup chocolate chips

Frosting

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted

1 T. butter, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

4-6 T. milk, ½ & ½ , or heavy cream

½ t. vanilla

One brand of Mexican chocolate

Directions

1.       Preheat oven to 350 and prepare a 9 x 12 baking pan with either parchment paper or greasing and lightly flouring. I slightly grease the pan, then lay in parchment paper.

2.       Melt together the chocolate and butter, then let cool slightly

3.       Stir together the eggs, sugar, vanilla, and chocolate/butter mixture

4.       Sift the flour, cinnamon and baking powder into the mix (or just dump it all in); add the salt and stir until smooth

5.       Pour into the pan

6.       Sprinkle with the chocolate chips

7.       Bake 20 minutes, then turn the oven off and let sit another 5 minutes or bake until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs clinging to it.

When cooled, make and spread the frosting

1.       Melt butter and chocolate and put in a medium or large sized bowl

2.       Add the powdered sugar and 4 T. milk

3.       Stir with a spoon (so that the powdered sugar doesn’t fly everywhere), then use a hand mixer to get a smooth consistency. 

4.       Add vanilla and stir.

5.       Add more milk until the frosting is a consistency you like. The amount of liquid depends on everything from the kind of milk product used to the amount of moisture in the air. If the frosting gets too runny, add more powder sugar 1/8 cup at a time

6.       Frost the brownies, but leave enough in the bowl so you can eat a spoonful or two


Batter in the bowl


Batter sprinkled with chips

Changes you can make

 Since I always putter around with a recipe, adding this or deleting that, here are some suggestions for you. Let me know how you reinvent this recipe.

·         Replace the vanilla with an alcoholic spirit of your choice in both the brownies and the frosting

·         Substitute a different kind of baking chip

·         Add nuts or dried fruit

·         Add a teaspoon of espresso powder dissolved in 1 tablespoon of water or replace the cinnamon with cardamom, nutmeg, or ginger.

·         For a thicker brownie, bake in an 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 pan for up to 30 minutes. Use the toothpick test (above) for doneness

Brownies frosted before being cut

Review:

·         Were the ingredients easy to find? You should be able to find Mexican chocolate in most baking or international  sections of the grocery store.

·         Were the directions easy to follow? Let me know.

·         Did it come out as expected? Of course.

·         How did it taste? I hope you like cinnamon.

·         Will I make it again? Over and over, but, of course, there will be some kind of twist.







 

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