Ever just have one of those days where you just want to curl up into a ball and cry while rocking back and forth, praying your children don't find you for at least the next 20 mins? Well, today was one of those days for me. It was the combo of having too much on my plate, having everything go completely wrong in the kitchen, and the boys acting like they were raised by psychotic wolves. I really felt like I was going to lose my mind. SO I decided that if everyone else was getting brownies (one of the things I was making for someone else) that I should get to have some too, darn it! It was my way of bribing myself to get through the rest of the day. It worked and was totally worth the craziness I had to endure.
I pieced together the recipe from a Dove Chocolate Discoveries book from a Dove Chocolate party I went to a few years back (if you haven't been to a dove chocolate party I suggest you find your local rep and have one STAT!) and a dark chocolate brownie recipe I've had for a while. The combo of chai-cinnamon frosting and dark chocolate brownie is heavenly. Then you add the chocolate ganache and it turns into something deviously delicious! This brownie recipe has it all! I recommend eating it with a nice glass of dessert wine (as I did) or with milk. It's definitely rich to say the least! Hope you enjoy them as much as I did!
Frosted and Glaze Brownies
Ingredients
For the Brownies:
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup dark chocolate unsweetened cocoa powder (or regular unsweetened cocoa powder if that's all you have)
3 eggs
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional but highly recommended)
For the Frosting:
4 oz cream cheese, at room temp
3 tbsp butter, at room temp
3/4 cup powdered sugar
3/4 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp instant chai tea powder (usually found in the tea aisle. Just make sure it's the instant kind, not the kind you have to brew.)
For Ganache:
4 oz semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips (both work fantastically)
1/2 cup heavy cream
Making the brownies:
Making the frosting:
Making the Ganache:
That's it! Hopefully this time the recipe will stay where it's put so you can all enjoy these brownies! If you have any questions or if the instructions weren't clear at some point please feel free to ask :)
Frosted and Glaze Brownies
Ingredients
For the Brownies:
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup dark chocolate unsweetened cocoa powder (or regular unsweetened cocoa powder if that's all you have)
3 eggs
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional but highly recommended)
For the Frosting:
4 oz cream cheese, at room temp
3 tbsp butter, at room temp
3/4 cup powdered sugar
3/4 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp instant chai tea powder (usually found in the tea aisle. Just make sure it's the instant kind, not the kind you have to brew.)
For Ganache:
4 oz semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips (both work fantastically)
1/2 cup heavy cream
Making the brownies:
- Preheat oven to 350 and spray an 8 or 9 inch baking pan with cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, melt butter in microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Make sure the butter is melted but not too hot. You don't want it to cook the eggs when you add them.
- Add the sugar, flour, cocoa and eggs. Stir until well combined. Fold in chocolate chips (if using).
- Pour batter into pan and bake for 22-25 minutes for fudgy brownies (I love me some fudgy brownies!) or 26-30 minutes for more cake-like brownies.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes in the pan. Put in the fridge to cool completely. Do not remove from pan. You'll need it to add the rest of the layers :)
Making the frosting:
- Mix together the cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
- Add the powdered sugar 1/4 cup at a time (this helps create less of a mess. However, with powdered sugar, there's just no avoiding the sugar cloud that gets all over everything lol)
- Add the vanilla, cinnamon, and chai tea and mix until it's fully combined.
- If the brownies are completely cooled, spread the frosting over the top with an offset spatula and chill for at least 1 hour. If the brownies are still a little warm, set the frosting in the fridge until the brownies are done cooling then spread over the top and refrigerate until the ganache is done.
Making the Ganache:
- Place chocolate chips in a small mixing bowl.
- Heat heavy cream in a small sauce pan until small bubbles form all along the edge of the pan (just before it starts to boil)
- Pour hot cream over the chocolate chips and stir with a wire whisk. The ganache will be thick but still pourable.
- Allow ganache to cool for 5 minutes at room temperature. Pour over the top of cooled and frosted brownies, tilting the pan to allow ganache to spread into all the corners of the pan.
- Allow brownies to chill for about 1-2 hours so the ganache has time to firm up.
That's it! Hopefully this time the recipe will stay where it's put so you can all enjoy these brownies! If you have any questions or if the instructions weren't clear at some point please feel free to ask :)