Today I give you…
Fudgey chocolate brownies.
Covered in fudgey chocolate frosting…
If you couldn’t tell, the theme of today’s post is chocolate fudge.
When I think of these brownies, I think of author Judy Blume, who wrote an entire series of books about Fudge: Double Fudge, Super Fudge, and Fudge-a-Mania. I’ll never forget my excitement when my third-grade teacher announced to the class that the next book we’d be reading was called Super Fudge.
A book all about chocolate??
Alas, it was really a book about an eleven-year-old boy. Each day I read intently, waiting to get to the part about the chocolate fudge. It never came… but at some point in the series, the little boy did eat a turtle.
Yeah, not the same thing. 😕
Unlike with the books, these brownies really are all about the fudge. What you see is what you get.
Fudge!
And no turtles.
Cosmic Fudge Brownies
Brownies:
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder (40g)
- 1 cup spelt or all-purpose flour (140g) (Arrowhead Mills gf does also work.)
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp instant coffee granules (optional)
- 1 cup xylitol or sugar (or coconut sugar) (190g)
- optional: 1 cup mini chocolate chips
- 6 tbsp silken tofu (For soy-free, you can use my black bean brownies recipe instead.)
- 2/3 cup applesauce (160g)
- 2 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract (10g)
- 1/2 cup coconut or vegetable oil (80g)
- 2 tbsp milk of choice (30g)
Frosting:
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder (40g)
- 2 tbsp pure maple syrup or agave (30g) (you can sub liquid stevia to taste)
- 1/2 cup liquid virgin coconut oil (75g)
Preheat oven to 325 and grease a 9×13 baking pan. In a large bowl, combine all brownie dry ingredients and stir well. In a separate bowl, combine all brownie liquid ingredients and stir well. Pour wet into dry and stir until evenly combined (but do not overmix), then transfer to prepared baking pan and cook 32-34 minutes. Allow to cool, and mix frosting ingredients together to form a sauce. Spread sauce over the brownies, then fridge or freeze 10-20 minutes and the sauce magically transforms into fudgey chocolate frosting! These brownies taste much richer the next day, after the flavors have had a chance to intensify.
Question of the Day:
Do you remember any of the books you read as a child?
I read all of Ann M. Martin’s Babysitter’s Club books, R.L. Stein’s Goosebumps books, and Beverly Cleary’s Ramona books, and was partial to series books. I hate when you start to develop a real relationship with a character only to have the book end.
P.S. Thanks to your feedback, the recipe page is now updated so that all recipes in a category appear on the same page.
I really really think you should make a healthy version of the Zebra cakes!! Love them but not all the nasty processed gunk in them…haven’t even eaten one in years! Just a thought..
I would LOVE That!
I think you should make Zebra cakes next!!
Yesss, I second that!! lol
Hi Katie! Just curious: I’m not a fan of coconut (not allergic, just don’t like the taste). Is there any good/healthy substitute for coconut oil for the frosting? I made your dark chocolate raspberry fudge cake the other day, and it was good minus the coconut flavor… yuck. Not your fault, just my personal preference. 🙂 Would appreciate any insight you can give!
If you like nut butter, I highly recommend her Reese’s Pieces Fudge Frosting recipe!
I have heard that palm oil works the same. Not sure about it, though, as I’ve never tried it. You could also just melt chocolate chips and spread over top!
Sorry, just had 2 chime in…be aware though that palm oil is causing serious problems 4 the orangutan… just so u know before u go that route…
Speaking on behalf of those who can’t 4 themselves,
CC
Agree. Palm oil is obtained from the trees that orangutans need to live. They are dying because their habitat is being ripped fom them, so greedy companies can sell palm oil….which is also known as vegetable oil. It’s very sad.
Thank you both for bringing this to my attention. I had no idea it was such an issue until you mentioned it, so I did some research (from what I think are reputable sources)… and I’m pretty much appalled. Not that I’ve ever bought plain palm oil before, but I think it’s in some of the things I use on occassion (Earth Balance?). I’d be surprised if it’s true a company as vegan-friendly as EB would be taking part (which is what some of the research told me). Now I’m not sure what to believe and will have to email the company. Is there anything else I should know about the issue? I try to stay on top of environmental issues and unethical business practices, but unfortunately there are so many :(.
Katie check out Animal Cruelty Exposed here on Facebook. They can answer questions. They research EVERYTHING. Unfortunately even vegan products still use questionable ingredients….pretty much it’s always about making money.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Animal-Cruelty-Exposed/363725540304160?ref=ts&fref=ts
Katie,
Please let us know of your email response from Earth Balance. They need to get rid of the palm oil in their products!
You could try out a refined organic coconut oil. They are neutral but still have the melting point that makes coconut oil so useful. Don’t let the connotations of “refined” turn you off–it’s not hydrogenated or anything 🙂
Thanks Rosalie! I’ll definitely try this 🙂
I never bothered with Goosebumps and went straight to the Fear Street books. I also read a lot of Stephen King.
On the less gruesome end of the scale, I too read many of the BSC books, and tons of the Thoroughbred and Saddle Club series.
To a fellow Katie: I LOVE your use of sprinkles and colours in that photo! I will have to try this one for sure.
These look so good!!! Yum…. I also read Judy Blume books as a kid.
Hey Katie, I just wanted to let you know how much I love your blog!!! Not only are your recipes fabulous but I really love all your stories and commentaries you add in. I bet your as fabulous as your recipes!! :). Thank you for all the recipes! My family loves them!
Aw thanks, Jennifer!
These look so yummy AND I have all the ingredients. Happy Cheat Meal dessert for me this weekend! Thank you so much!
To answer the question: Judy Blume, Beverly Cleary, The Encyclopedia Brown series, and just about anything else I could get my hands on! A question about the tofu, I have some mori-ni silken firm in my fridge right now, so how much would 6 tablespoons equal in terms of 1/4 of a block, 1/2 of a block, etc. Do you know? Of course I could just get out my tablespoon and measure but I wondered if there was an easier measurement. Thanks!
To be honest, the easiest way is to get a food scale.
But according to the package, 84 grams is 1/4 of a block, so you can use that as a reference.
Thanks for replying! I need to get me a digital food scale for sure. I have one of those old-fashioned ones that just has a dial and is not very accurate.
I loved the Babysitters Club and Goosebumps series too, thanks for jogging some great childhood memories!
And this looks very yummy too 🙂
Wow these look delicious!!! Love that they are vegan!
I liked a book called “Katie Did it” about a girl who gets blamed for everything. That book was really just a small kids book and I have a favorite cousin named Katie so I partly liked it because of that. However, when I got to about 3rd grade I liked The Chronicles of Narnia book series. All those book titles you mentioned brought back memories. I loved the Ramona books too!
I love your brownie recipes, they taste just as fudgy and decadent as the real thing. I also tried your frosting shot as frosting for some healthy chocolate cupcakes I made for my Oscars party last Sunday and they were a hit!
I am so excited they turned out well. Thanks for making them!
Ah, little debbie brownies. I loved those things as a child. I pinned this and am so making it! 😀
Hello Katie! I really have enjoyed so far recipes on your blog, one little think though: I personally find the repetitive pictures of the end result a tad overwhelming. I think you could highlight your work much more by adding a couple of pics of the process and one or two of the final product. That would be a nice balance and would give an idea to your readers if the batter is too thin or too thick etc…
Hi Vesper,
I asked awhile back about posting “in process” photos, and the general consensus was that unless it was a super-complicated recipe, people preferred they be left out.
I Agree Vesper. Would prefer to see the process myself.
Looks like the perfect pick me up for a rainy day! I would love to try some.