Chocolate Fudge Brownies with a Crunchy Cookie Topping
Rich and fudgy chocolate brownies topped with a layer of chocolate icing and crunchy cookie crumbs. These brownies slice cleanly and freeze well, making them a great make-ahead dessert or lunchbox treat.
Servings 12 squares
Cost $8
Ingredients
Fudgy Brownie Batter
- ⅓ cup butter
- 2 oz dark unsweetened chocolate
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- ¾ cup all purpose flour
- dash salt
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 cup walnuts chopped
Chocolate Buttercream Icing
- 1 cup butter
- ¾ cup cocoa powder
- 3 cups icing sugar
- ½ cup flour optional
Crunchy Cookie Topping
- 8 Favorite Cookies like Oreo, Fudge-O I used girl guide cookies.
Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the Pan and Oven
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8 × 8 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a slight overhang for easy removal. Lightly grease the parchment and set aside.
Step 2: Melt the Chocolate and Butter
- In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt the butter and unsweetened chocolate together, stirring gently until smooth. Remove from the heat.
Step 3: Mix the Brownie Batter
- Stir the granulated sugar into the melted chocolate mixture until well combined. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. The batter should become thick and glossy as you mix.
Step 4: Add the Dry Ingredients
- In a small bowl, mix the flour, salt, and baking powder together. Add the dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture, then stir in the walnuts, mixing just until blended.
Step 5: Bake the Brownies
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake at 350°F for about 25 minutes. The brownies are done when they feel firm but still spring back lightly when pressed in the center.
Step 6: Cool Completely
- Allow the brownies to cool completely in the pan before adding the chocolate icing.
Step 7: Make the Chocolate Icing
- Whip the butter in a large mixing bowl until soft and pale in color.
- Add the cocoa powder and beat well, stopping once to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add half of the icing sugar along with the vanilla. Beat until smooth, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Taste the icing. If you prefer a less sweet icing, replace 1/2 cup of the remaining icing sugar with flour. Otherwise, add the remaining icing sugar.
- Beat until smooth, then spread the icing evenly over the completely cooled brownies.
Step 8: Add the Cookie Topping and Finish
- Roughly chop 8 cookies into large chunks. Sprinkle them over the freshly iced brownies and gently press them into the icing. Chill until the icing is firm, then slice into squares and serve.
