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Ingredients
  

For The Brownies

  • 1 1/2 sticks room temperature butter salted or unsalted butter makes no difference and save one of the wrappers so you can use the greasy side to help spread out the batter
  • 2 1/2 cups packed brown sugar or use a one-pound box
  • 3 eggs well beaten
  • 2 3/4 cups flour, sifted measure the flour and then sift it*
  • 1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips or any combination of chocolate equal to 11 - 12 ounces
  • 1 cup chopped nuts 100% optional.
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract or scrapings from 2 vanilla beans
  • 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt

For The Icing

  • 5 - 6 T room temperature butter original recipe says "oleo" - which is margarine, which we now know is a food-like substance- not actual food ;)
  • 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted or use a one pound box
  • 2 T cocoa powder, sifted
  • 5 - 6 T warm milk

Instructions
 

For The Brownies

  • Set out the butter and eggs to come to room temperature. 
  • Cream the room temperature butter and brown sugar until a smooth, thick, uniform texture develops. Use the paddle attachment on a stand mixer, which is the triangle-looking one.
  • With a fork, briefly beat the eggs and add them to the butter and sugar mixture in 3 increments. Mix after each addition.
  • Add the vanilla to the butter, sugar, eggs and beat until the mixture morphs into a smooth, thick batter that is light yellow in color and falls in clumps from a spoon.
  • Measure the flour and sift it into a large mixing bowl. Sift in the salt and baking powder.*
  • Add the dry ingredients to the butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla mixture 1/2 - 1 cup at t time. Gently stir after each addition, don't overmix. The batter will be very thick.
  • Add the chocolate and nuts all at once and stir to evenly distribute.
  • Divide the batter into two 8 x 8 metal pans. Use the butter wrappers to help spread it around evenly. Place the pans on a baking sheet and bake 30 - 35 minutes at 350. When done, the top will be a shiny golden brown, the edges will be pulling away from the sides of the pan, and a toothpick comes out clean. 
  • While the brownies are baking, clean and dry the mixer. These brownies are iced immediately upon removal from the oven.

For The Icing

  • Put 6 T room temperature butter in the stand mixer and blend it up a little with either the paddle or whip attachment.
  • Add the sifted powder sugar and cocoa in increments, stirring after each addition. Go slowly so powdered sugar doesn't fly all over the place.
  • Heat 5 - 6 T milk and add the warm milk one T at a time while the mixer is slowly running. Continue to add milk until you get a thick, spreadable consistency
  • Ice the brownies while they are still warm.
  • Place iced brownies on a cooling rack.

Notes

*Back in the day when flour was not sifted millions of times before it left the factory, you would sift flour into a bowl and then measure 2 3/4 cups. Today, flour comes pretty well sifted so you can measure out 2 3/4 cups and then sift that measured amount.
Surprisingly, disposable 8 x 8 baking pans work the best for this recipe. Don't use glass because it's hard to get a crispy edge in a glass pan. 
These brownies freeze really well.