Fudgy Frosted Brownies

This recipe comes from The Recipe Girl website.  Today I am celebrating and what better way to celebrate than with chocolate!!!  Why am I celebrating??  I found out that my son is coming home from the Navy for Christmas!!!  I haven't seen him since the first weekend in August and I miss him terribly.  He wasn't sure if he could get leave but I got an email this morning saying that he was coming home.  So this Proud Navy Mom is baking brownies!!

I made a few small changes to her recipe because I didn't have all the ingredients and I really didn't feel like running to the store for salted butter, semi-sweet chocolate chips and toffee bits.  I will put ** to signify that I omitted or changed those because I didn't have the ingredient.

Brownies:

2/3 cup salted butter, melted**(I used unsalted butter because that is what I had)
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups white granulated sugar
1 1/3 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup water
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips ** (I had the mini chocolate chips - so I used those)
1/2 cup toffee bits ** (I didn't have any so I omitted )

Frosting

3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips ** (again - I only had the mini chocolate chips)
1/4 cup milk
2 T salted butter ** (I used unsalted butter)
1 1/4 cup powedered sugar - measure, then sift
1 tsp vanilla extract.

Preheat oven to 350.  Spray a 13 x 9 x 2 baking pan with Pam or something similar.

Using an electric mixer, combine the melted butter, eggs and vanilla.  In a separate bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients and add to the butter mixture.  Mix well.  Add the water, chocolate chips and toffee bits (if you are using them).

Pour into the prepared pan and smooth evenly out.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until brownies start to pull away from the side of the pan.  Cool on a wire rack.

Frosting:  

In a saucepan, add the chips, milk and butter over medium heat, while stirring, until the chips and butter are melted and smooth.  Remove from heat, whisk in the sifted powdered sugar and vanilla extract until smooth

Spread the frosting over the brownies.  Let the brownies cool completely before cutting them into bars.

VERDICT:

My husband loved these!!  Well, I confess . . . so did I!  This is DEFINITELY a keeper recipe.