Fudge Frosted Brownies Recipes

Steps:

• Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13-by-9-inch baking pan, preferably metal, with nonstick baking spray. Line the pan with parchment paper leaving a 2-inch overhang on the longer sides. Lightly coat with nonstick spray.
• Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat, swirling occasionally, until the butter is a deep golden color, about 5 minutes; the butter will hiss and spit as the whey evaporates so be careful. As the foam subsides the butter will go from a canary yellow color to golden. When it does, take it off the heat. Add the chocolate and cream to the butter and let it sit, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is melted.
• Sift the flour and cocoa powder through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl. Beat the granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt, vanilla, espresso powder and eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Start on low speed and gradually increase to high speed until the eggs are pale, very thick and fluffy, about 8 minutes (start your timer when you get to high speed). Do not be tempted to skimp on the mix time; this step is key to getting the signature shiny, crackled brownie top. Reduce the speed to low and slowly pour the warm chocolate into the eggs; beat until completely incorporated. Gradually add the dry ingredients and beat until just combined; do not overmix. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and fold until the batter is completely combined.
• Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until the brownies are glossy and just barely firm, and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 205 degrees F, 25 to 35 minutes. Don't let the thermometer touch the bottom of the pan or you will get a much higher reading. (The cook time will be at the higher end of the range if using a glass or ceramic baking dish.)
• Let the brownies cool completely to allow the crumb to set before slicing, about 3 hours.
• Use an offset spatula to loosen the brownies from the sides of the pan. Use the parchment overhang to lift the brownies out of the pan. Remove the parchment and cut into 24 squares.

Steps:

• Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a baking pan with cooking spray.
• In a small saucepan, combine the butter and chopped chocolate and set over very low heat until melted. Stir the mixture and set aside to cool. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Measure the sugar into the large bowl of an electric mixer and beat in the cooled butter-chocolate mixture. Add the egg plus whites, vanilla, and water and beat well. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed just until blended. Don't overbeat. The batter will be thick. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and bake for 22 to 25 minutes; 23 minutes is usually right for me. When done, the top will look dry and a wooden pick inserted near the edge will come out with a few crumbs but the center will look slightly gooey. Cool in the pan and cut into squares.
• I have been trying for a couple of years to produce a brownie worthy of the name with less fat and less solid chocolate. My taste testers finally agree that this is it - a great brownie they would never suspect of being lower in anything. I have cut the classic 58 percent down to 31 percent calories from fat and eliminated 87 calories, 10 g fat, and 22 mg cholesterol from each brownie.
• When traditional proportions are disrupted, textures become moist and cakey at best or dry, insipid, and tough at worst. One rule emerges clearly: The fewer ingredients, the better the brownie. Avoid the usual low-fat stand-ins: applesauce, yogurt, corn syrup, canola oil. Use butter, but less, and replace most of the solid chocolate with rich-tasting Dutch-processed cocoa; retain at least 1 ounce of solid chocolate, however, for a more complex chocolate taste. A few tricks: Cake flour produced a more tender crumb than all-purpose, and melting the butter with the chocolate, as opposed to creaming the solid butter with the sugar, gave a fudgier crumb. A touch of baking powder seems to enhance the crunch of the top crust.
• Faced with the choice of adding high-fat chopped nuts or keeping the 1/4 cup butter, there was no contest; nuts put us over the top in fat content. However, if you feel deprived without them, sprinkle about 3 tablespoons of finely chopped walnuts on top before baking; the changes are modest: 33 percent calories from fat, plus 9 calories and 1g fat per brownie.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 13x9-inch baking pan. Place 8 ounces of baking chocolate with 1 cup of butter in a microwave-safe bowl, and microwave on High until the chocolate is soft and the butter has melted, about 2 minutes. Stir to mix.
• Place the eggs, 3 cups of sugar, and 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract in a large bowl, and beat with an electric mixer on high speed for 2 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to low, and beat in the melted butter-chocolate mixture. Beat in the flour until just combined (do not overmix), and stir in the chopped walnuts. Spread the batter in the prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with fudgy crumbs, about 35 minutes. Cool in the pan before frosting.
• To make frosting, combine 1 1/4 cup of sugar with the heavy cream in a saucepan over medium heat, and stir until the sugar dissolves and the mixture begins to simmer, about 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, and let the mixture simmer for 7 minutes without stirring.
• Remove the cream mixture from the heat, and stir in 5 ounces of baking chocolate and 1/2 cup butter, stirring to melt and blend the chocolate. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; whisk until smooth. Place the frosting in the refrigerator and stir every few minutes until the frosting is chilled and thick, about 30 minutes. Frost the cooled brownies, and cut into squares.

Steps:

• Grease a 9x9 inch pan and preheat the oven to 350*.
• Beat the butter and sugar together until fluffy.
• Beat in the vanilla, then the eggs one at a time.
• Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt, and blend into butter mixture.
• Pour into greased pan and bake ABOUT 30 mins., depending on your oven. *BAKE LESS TIME IF YOU LIKE YOUR BROWNIES FUDGEY AND MORE TIME IF YOU LIKE THEM CAKEY*.
• While brownies are baking, make the frosting: In a saucepan over low heat, melt butter and stir in cocoa powder and milk.
• Off heat, beat in the sugar.
• Spread evenly over brownies while they are still warm (not immediately out of the oven).
• When cool, cut into small squares.
• The yield depends on how large you cut them.
• This recipe is easily doubled (bake in a 9x13 pan) and nuts may be added to both the brownies and the frosting.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a small saucepan, melt butter and chocolate over low heat. Cool slightly., In a large bowl, beat eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt until blended. Stir in chocolate mixture. Add flour, mixing well. Stir in walnuts. , Spread into a greased 9-in. square baking pan. Bake 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs (do not overbake)., Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. If desired, dust with confectioners' sugar. Cut into bars.

Steps:

• In a saucepan, melt butter.
• Remove from the heat.
• Stir in cocoa and cool.
• While cooling, beat eggs and sugar in mixing bowl.
• Combine the flour, baking powder and salt.
• Gradually add to the egg mixture.
• Stir in the vanilla and cooled chocolate mixture and mix well.
• Spread into a greased 13 x 9 x 2-in.
• pan.
• Bake at 350 for 25-28 minutes of until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
• Cool on a wire rack.
• For frosting, in a mixing bowl, cream the butter, confectioners' sugar, cocoa and vanilla.
• Add enough milk until it achieves spreading consistency.
• Spread over brownies.
• Cut into bars and enjoy.