Basic Fudge Brownies With Fudge Frosting Option

No messing around today, I just need to get right down to it and give you this simple, amazing recipe! Because who doesn’t love a simple, rich, gooey chocolate recipe — and if you like this one, try my Lava Cakes or these Easy Chewy Blondies.

SIMPLE INGREDIENTS

• butter (real butter, no blends)
• sugar (I use all natural cane sugar)
• Eggs
• Vanilla extract
• Cocoa powder (regular or dark, I used 1/3 cup of each)
• All-purpose flour (I use unbleached)
• Salt & Baking Powder
• Chocolate chips (mix it up, this time I used 60% cacao bittersweet & milk chocolate chips)
• Powdered Sugar or Frosting (recipe below), optional

Preheat oven to 350° and prepare a 9×13 inch pan. I like to spray it lightly with oil, then line with parchment paper, squaring it up as much as possible and spray lightly again. Makes for super easy removal, cutting and easy clean-up! WIN-WIN!

Plop your butter into a medium sauce pan and melt over medium-low heat. While your butter is melting, measure out the rest of your ingredients; crack your eggs into a small bowl, measure out your sugar and flour. The recipe will go much quicker, if you have everything ready to go.

Once butter is melted, remove from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes on counter. Using a wooden spoon stir your sugar into melted butter.

Stir in eggs, one at a time just until incorporated. Pour in vanilla, mix after each addition, stir in your cocoa powder (I go back and forth, for this batch I used 1/3 cup regular cocoa powder and 1/3 cup dark cocoa powder, any variation is perfectly fine). Once all of your cocoa powder is incorporated, add the all-purpose flour

and while you are at it, toss in your baking powder and sea salt. Mix until just combined.

Now for the good stuff; add mix-ins, for basic brownies add 1 cup chocolate chips of your choice. I used 1/2 cup Dark Chocolate Chips

plus 1/2 cup Milk Chocolate Chips. Again it’s your pleasure! Clean out your baking chips! Gently stir until combined.

“Pour” batter into prepared pan, it will be thick!

Spread evenly.

Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes. Don’t overbake them! Brownies will set as they cool. The edges should just start pulling away from the sides and the top should have a dull finish to it. Remove from oven and cool completely on cooling rack.

BAKERS TIP | Need to make lots o’ brownies?? Once cooled completely, using parchment lift out of pan, wrap brownie sheet in plastic wrap and freeze until ready to use. To slice or frost, remove from freezer 20-30 minutes, making cutting simple.

See below for an optional frosting. But there’s nothing wrong with the simplistic & classic dusting of powdered sugar!

Cut into squares as large or small as you like.

Lunch Lady Brownies

This frosting is actually for a Texas Sheet Cake, but I’ve reduced and adapted it slightly for brownies, just like those delectable brownies from the school cafeteria growing up, you know, what are now known as, Lunch Lady Brownies!

In a small saucepan, melt butter. Add cocoa powder and stir to combine. Turn off heat and add powdered sugar, whisking well. Pour milk and mix until smooth. Add vanilla

Don’t forget a pinch of sea salt. Whisk until glossy and all ingredients incorporated.

Pour over the top of the brownies (still warm or completely cooled; either is fine) cool completely prior to slicing.

Spread frosting evenly over tops of brownies. Cool completely prior to cutting.

PRO TIP | I find it helpful to refrigerate brownies or freeze for 20 minutes or so once completely cooled in order to cut brownies easier. Lift out of pan using parchment paper and place on large cutting board, cut to desired size.

Seriously! Don’t they transport you right back to the 4th grade?

For the full recipe and pro tips, visit the blog for the printable recipe. https://www.thefreshcooky.com/basic-fudge-brownies/