Brownies Recipe

Brownies

This is our all-time favorite dessert recipe. It never fails to impress folks. The frosting layer is the big differentiator.

Give yourself about an hour and a half for this total, including cooling time before frosting. It gets quicker with experience, though.

Preheat the oven to 350
Assemble all the ingredients
Melt the shortening and 4 oz of the unsweetened chocolate together over low heat
Transfer the melted concoction to a big mixing bowl
Mix in the sugar, eggs and vanilla extract, mixing until it's all the same consistency
In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, salt and baking powder
Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until all the same color and consistency.
Pour into a 9x13 brownie pan
Cook for 25 minutes or so
When the brownies are cool, it's time to make the frosting!
Melt the butter and 2 oz of the unsweetened chocolate over low heat
Add the water and mix until it's the same color and consistency
Gradually whisk in the powdered sugar (Sifting the powdered sugar into the frosting minimizes lumps)
Frost the brownies them evenly as soon as the frositng is made

These keep incredibly well (if they last past the first day). The frosting layer is even better on the second day.

This is really the only sweet that I can't keep in the house. Otherwise, I will eat all of them.

Massive shout out to Mrs. Hogan!