Tag: frosted brownies

Devil’s Cut Brownies

brownies with whiskey cream cheese frosting

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike is a Freemason. According to various conspiracy theorists, Masons run the world. And while I suspect that Mike and the other brothers of Dallas Lodge 231 don’t run the world, even if they did, he’d never be able to tell me. All that secret handshake business? It’s top secret, and for real.

The Masons meet on several Thursdays throughout the month, and these brownies accompanied Mike to this past week’s lodge meeting. Dinner that evening was corned beef and cabbage, and I thought that a good complement to an Irish dinner would be brownies with whiskey cream cheese frosting. Apparently they were delicious; even Mike didn’t get to eat one because they disappeared so fast.

Brownies

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter, melted
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 4 eggs
  • 3/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a 13 x 9 pan with cooking spray.

In a mixing bowl, combine melted butter, sugar, and vanilla and stir until well combined.

Add eggs, one at a time, stirring well after each.

Stir in cocoa powder until well combined.

Add flour, baking powder, and salt; stir until well combined.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 30-35 minutes, until the edges pull away from the pan slightly.

Cool completely before frosting.

Devil’s Cut Frosting

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
  • 4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
  • 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder, sifted
  • 1 tablespoon Jim Beam Devil’s Cut whiskey

Preparation

In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese and butter; cream together until very well combined and smooth.

Add powdered sugar, about one-half cup at a time, beating well after each addition.

Add cocoa powder and beat well.

Add whiskey and beat.

Frost brownies with a small offset spatula.

Store in the refrigerator; let stand at room temperature for about 10 minutes before serving.

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Fudge-Frosted Brownies

 

 

 

 

 

Brownies invite creativity.  They can be cake-like or fudgy, with or without nuts, blended with cream cheese or peanut butter, sprinkled with marshmallows or candy bits, or my personal favorite, topped with vanilla ice cream and served warm.

This recipe produces a cake-like brownie ideal for frosting; it utilizes a cooking method for preparation, in which sugar, cocoa powder, and butter are melted together and then combined with other ingredients.  To facilitate the mixing process, I recommend measuring out all of your ingredients and placing them next to your stove, like a television chef, so that you can have easy access to everything as you mix.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 12 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease a 9x13x2 baking pan.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside.

Measure out milk; set aside.

Crack eggs into a bowl; set aside.

Measure out vanilla; set aside.

In a large saucepan, combine sugar, butter, and cocoa powder.  Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until butter melts and mixture becomes incorporated.

Remove from heat; add eggs and vanilla and stir until smooth.

Add flour mixture and milk alternatively in three batches, mixing well after each.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.

Cool completely in pan; invert onto a cutting board or platter and frost with Fudge Frosting (see below).

Cut as desired; store in an airtight container.

Fudge Frosting

Ingredients

  • 2 1/3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 4 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 1/6 cup boiling water (just under 2 oz. in a glass measuring cup)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preparation

Combine powdered sugar and cocoa powder.

Add butter, boiling water, and vanilla.

Beat on low speed until ingredients are just combined, then increase speed to medium and beat for 1 minute.