CHOCOLATE FUDGE BROWNIES

For my chocolate-loving friends, these Chocolate Fudge Brownies are for you. They’re totally chocolatey, they’re packed with chocolate chips, and they’re topped with a thick chocolate glaze!

This recipe comes from the Joy the Baker cookbook. Joy tops these with a Chocolate Buttercream Frosting in her book. Her frosting has Ovaltine Powder in it, which is pretty much brilliant. If I had Ovaltine Powder in my house… it would be a very dangerous thing indeed. I was truly obsessed with Ovaltine Powder and its magical qualities of transforming milk into something wonderful when I was a pre-teen. I.used.to.eat.it.obsessively.by.the.spoonful! #confession

Anyway… I opt to top Joy’s brownies with a simple chocolate glaze instead. It works for me, and it works for these brownies, and it works for everyone who consumes them. They are always a huge hit!

I have had the good fortune of meeting Joy the Baker a few times. She’s a fun, flirty, cute, single girl. I’d totally set her up with my best guy friend if he wasn’t already married. Joy’s debut cookbook, Joy the Baker, was released at the end of February. Her book is no less than awesome. Joy shot all of her own photography, and I love all of her tidbit stories and intros to her recipes. The girl is just plain cool. I’m excited to try the following recipes from this book: Baked Coffee Cake French Toast, Giant Cinnamon Rolls with Buttermilk Glaze, Oatmeal Cookie Pancakes, Peanut Butter Bacon Cookies, Peanut Butter Birthday Cake, Pineapple Malted Milkshake, Strawberry Cookie Dough Ice Cream, Chocolate Malt Bread Pudding and Vanilla Bean Snickerdoodles. Everything looks so good! :)

INGREDIENTS

BROWNIES:
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
GLAZE:
2/3 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 to 5 teaspoons hot water (or more, as needed)

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8-inch baking dish with nonstick spray, then line it with a strip of parchment paper (edges hanging over), and spray the parchment with nonstick spray too.
PREPARE THE BROWNIES:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a large, microwave-safe bowl, heat the butter and chocolate until butter is melted (about 75 seconds). Whisk the butter and chocolate together until the chocolate is melted and smooth (heat a few more seconds, if needed). Alternately, you may melt the butter and chocolate together in a pan set on top of a pot of simmering water. Remove from heat. Whisk the sugars into the mixture. Then whisk in the eggs, yolk and vanilla. Stir in the flour mixture until well incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Bake until a skewer inserted into the center of the brownie comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool completely before adding the glaze.
PREPARE THE GLAZE:
In a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar, cocoa and vanilla. Whisk in 4 teaspoons of hot water, then add more water- 1 teaspoon at a time- until you reach a desired glaze consistency. You want to be able to pour it on the brownies.
Use the parchment paper to move the brownies from the pan to a cutting board. Pour the glaze on top of the brownies, and use the bottom of a spoon to gently spread it to the edges. Let the glaze set (chill if you'd like) before cutting.