Recipe: Chocolate Fudge Brownies with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting for the Joy the Baker Spotlight!

Brownie talk is as worrisome as a political debate at a dinner party on a random Sunday night.

You just don't go there.

At least, not in my social circles.



Because the folks that I roll with...they're as particular about their brownies as some people are about their local senator.

And trying to find the perfect brownie for every palate is like trying to find a politician who hasn't slept with at least five of his interns.

Right.



But people.  It is an election year.  We need to at least try to get this brownie situation under control, or risk some kind of dinner party Cold War situation.

No one needs another Bay of Pigs. No one.

And so while my roommate is obsessively watching just about every "news special" on election coverage (aka Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert, and Jon Stewart).

I've been frantically brownie-ing it up in the kitchen.  My counters are littered with varying shades of chocolate stains.  And I won't tell you how many sticks of butter I've gone through.  (It's obscene.)



All to bring you this.

It's fudgy. And cake-y. And covered in the.best.frosting.of.your.life.

And it didn't inhale.  Ever.

How's that for a campaign speech.

Chocolate fudge brownies, for the win!

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This post is part of the Joy the Baker Cookbook Spotlight and Cook-Off!  Take a minute and stop by Girlichef's site to read her interview with Joy the Baker and for a chance to win your own copy of the Joy the Baker Cookbook!

Chocolate Fudge Brownies with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Makes 1 8x8-inch pan, adapted from the Joy the Baker Cookbook

Ingredients

For the brownies:

• 3/4 cup AP flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3 oz unsweetened chocolate
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

 For the buttercream frosting:

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 1/2 to 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 2 tbsp milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• scant 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/3 cup ovaltine powder (or other malted milk powder)

Instructions

For the brownies:

1. Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 350.  Grease and flour an 8-inch square baking dish and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.
3. Bring about 2 inches of water to a boil in a medium saucepan.  In a medium, heatproof blowl, add butter and unsweetened chocolate.  Place the bowl over, but not touching, the simmering water and allow to melt.  Stir to incorporate.  Once melted, remove the bowl from the simmering pot.  Whisk in brown and granulated sugars.  Whisk in eggs, yolk and vanilla.  Add the flour mixture, all at once, to the chocolate mixture.  Fold together with a spatula until well incorporated.  Fold in the chocolate chips.
4. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.  Bake until a skewer inserted in the center of the brownie comes out clean.  Remove from the oven and cool completely before frosting.
5. Frost with a half recipe of the chocolate buttercream frosting when cooled.  Brownies will last, well wrapped, at room temperature for up to 5 days.

For the buttercream:

6. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together butter, cocoa powder, and salt.  Mixture will be very thick but cream for about 3 minutes on medium speed.
7. Turn off the mixer.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add in 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar.  Turn the mixer on low to incorporate the sugar while adding the milk and vanilla.  As the sugar incorporates, gradually increase the mixer speed to medium-high.  Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.  Beat until smooth.
8. In a 1-cup measure, stir together cream and ovaltine.  Turn the mixer to medium and pour the cream in a slow and steady stream until the frosting reaches your desired consistency: smooth, creamy and spreadable.  Add more powdered sugar to adjust consistency. Spread onto brownies.  Frosting will last, well wrapped, in the refrigerator for 5 days.