well, i’m surviving nemo just fine. the college was closed yesterday, so i get a three day weekend. winning. so far, i’ve spent half of my time in bed and the other half in the kitchen. it doesn’t get any better than that.
i’ve opted not to go play in the snow. there’s just too much of it. i don’t like snow to begin with, but i’ve learned to be okay with it after my time spent in the northeast. i can handle a few inches. this is just overwhelming. it does finally feel like winter. but, now i’m a little over it. i could do sunshine again.
but, if i can’t have sunshine in the real world, i guess i’ll just have to bring sunshine into my kitchen world. enter orange.
i made the orange cream cheese frosting from leftover cream cheese frosting i had from making these. it’s the perfect pairing with these fudgy, dark chocolate chip brownies.
these brownies are decadent. the orange cream cheese frosting puts it over the top. if you like your brownies dense and extra chocolatey, make these happen. the orange brightens it up a bit if you are like me and need a little sunshine in your day.
fudgy brownies with orange cream cheese frosting
printable recipe – adapted from bon appetit’s brownies and brown eyed baker’s frosting
yield one 8×8 pan (about 16 squares)
ingredients
veggie oil spray
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1 1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup cocoa powder (if you’ve got ghirardelli’s in the cupboard, now is the time to use it)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
for frosting*
1 stick unsalted butter
4 ounces cream cheese
2½ cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
zest of 1 orange
juice of a little less than half an orange
*this makes more than hella frosting. you can save the rest of the frosting by putting it in a tupperware and refrigerating it for a near future use. if you want to save it for a future, future use, pop it in the freezer. when you want to use it, take it out of the freezer and rewhip. yum.
preheat oven to 325. prepare 8×8 baking pan by lining with enough foil to create a 2 inch overhang on all four sides. spray oil with veggie oil spray.
whisk together sugar, cocoa powder, and salt in a medium bowl. pour melted butter slowly while whisking. add vanilla extract. add eggs one by one, mixing well after each one. and flour and chocolate chips, stirring until just combined. spread batter into baking pan and smooth the top.
bake for 25-28 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs attached. place pan on cooling rack. cool completely before taking brownies out of the pan. cut into squares.
for the frosting, whip the butter and cream cheese on high speed until incorporated. put the mixer on low and slowly add the powdered sugar until well mixed. add vanilla, orange zest, and orange juice. whip on medium high for a few minutes until the frosting is fluffy. scrape the bowl as necessary.
top brownies with a substantial layer of frosting. i’ll leave substantial up to your interpretation. nomnomnom.
noms and notes 