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This recipe for Fudgy Brownies is my favorite – one bowl and so easy! Topped with Orange Frosting made with mandarine oranges, these are The Best Orange Frosted Brownies you’ll ever eat!
Happy Easter everyone! I hope you’re having a relaxing Sunday with your family.
We got back last night from a couple of days in San Diego, visiting family. Another word for this trip: the Eating Extravaganza of 2013.
Let me give you a rundown:
We were traveling, so eating a danish at the airport was perfectly acceptable.
So was the bagel sandwich I scarfed at Einstein’s. {Why oh why is there no Einstein’s in Rocklin, CA?}
Then there were hamburgers and chips for dinner.
Friday – now that took the cake. We went out to breakfast with Mel’s dad.
We went to Il Fornaio for lunch.
And I was still hungry for a sandwich at dinner. And frozen yogurt.
We celebrated early Easter Saturday morning with cinnamon rolls and eggs. Which I washed down with two pork carnitas tacos at Old Town.
All interspersed with handfuls of Cadbury Mini Eggs.
Oh, and we went for brunch this morning.
My new name: Fatty McBuffet Pants.
I wore leggings for a reason. None of my pants fit.
So I’m going on a fast for the next week.
As long as the fast includes brownies, I’m good.
I am totally eating crow with these brownies, BTW. I have scoffed at the orange-and-chocolate combo for years. I remember seeing one of those orange chocolate shaped thingies at Christmas when I was like, 12 and thinking EW OMG NO WAY.
People. I was wrong. So very, very wrong.
Orange and chocolate are totally BFFs. Like, they need to get broken heart-shaped necklaces and wear matching color hair ties on their wrists because OMG they can’t live without each other and they have to proclaim their love to everyone.
Orange + Chocolate = Heaven.
This brownie recipe isn’t new. It’s my favorite Fudgy Brownie recipe, the one I paired recently with Coconut Frosting. The same brownies I stuffed truffles inside.
These brownies are rich and fabulous and sinful and the best ever. I use two kinds of melted chocolate and cocoa powder in these brownies for a richness you wouldn’t believe. They are pretty much one bowl and are better than a box. Yes, I said it. They are better than a box brownie.
They’re good even by themselves with a fork, but they are even better with Orange Frosting.
You can use any kind of orange for this frosting, but I used Cuties (mandarin oranges). I had a bag and they were going to go to waste since Jordan decided she won’t eat them. The juice is so fragrant my mouth waters every time I juice them. I don’t like eating oranges (I have texture issues and pulp is a #1 offender) but I like peeling Cuties just so my fingers will smell like them.
The frosting is a basic one: butter and powdered sugar and flavoring. I added orange juice and zest to flavor the frosting. And, my secret for the best frosting ever? Heavy cream. Not milk. Certainly not non-fat milk. The real deal: heavy whipping cream. Just a tablespoon or two makes the frosting rich, creamy, and oh-so-good.
Meh. I’ll start the fast on tomorrow. What’s one more day? 😉
The Best Orange Frosted Brownies
Ingredients
For the Brownies
- 2 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate , coarsely chopped
- 2 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate , coarsely chopped
- 3/4 cup butter
- 1 3/4 cups sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
For the frosting:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons fresh squeezed orange juice
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13” pan with foil and spray with cooking spray.
- Place the two baking chocolates and butter in a large, microwave safe bowl. Heat on HIGH power for 2-3 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until chocolate is smooth. Stir in sugar. Add eggs, vanilla, and cocoa and stir well. Add flour and stir carefully.
- Spread batter in prepared pan. Bake about 25 minutes, until a toothpick 2 inches from the outside of the pan comes out clean. Let cool before cutting.
- To make the frosting, beat butter in a large bowl with a hand mixer until smooth. Slowly beat in powdered sugar until crumbly. Beat in orange juice, then heavy cream (not together).
- Spread frosting over the top of the cooled brownies.
Recipe Nutrition
Other brownie love:
Fudgy Brownies with Coconut Frosting
Sweets from friends:
Layered S’mores Brownies by Shugary Sweets
Microwave Brownie in a Cup by No. 2 Pencil
Better than Anything Caramel Stuffed Brownies
sounds a LOT like my entire week – BUT you cannot utter the words fast, and then share these…that’s just mean
I’m the meanest to myself. Because I want to stop with the sugar…but I really, really want to eat more… 🙂
I used to love those orange chocolates! My mom would buy me one every year on the holidays but I never thought about making it into a brownie. That orange frosting with the heavy cream looks good enough to eat alone.
Shhh…it was! 🙂 Thanks Nicole!
Love chocolate and orange together! It is one of my dad’s favorite combos. I am pinning this so that I can make this for him when he visitis next!
Thanks for the pin Kathy!
Those look really good. I would have to agree with you on that combination!
This post made me hungry!
I actually liked those chocolate oranges as a kid, and was gonig to try some chocolate orange brownies, but never got around to it. This frosting recipe looks to-die-for.
It’s too good. Way. Too. Good. 🙂
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