If you are a fan of The Pioneer Woman and own her first cookbook, The Pioneer Woman Cooks, Recipes From An Accidental Country Girl, her recipe for Mocha Brownies is truly decadent and delicious.
My favorite part about this recipe isn’t the brownie part, but the Mocha Icing part. Her brownie is one of those chewy and fudgey brownies that is truly delicious, but I prefer a nice, moist cake type brownie. Also, her recipe makes an 8-inch square pan and, well, I just have too many mouths to feed when it comes to desserts.
So I have adapted Ree’s recipe to fit my family’s tastes and need for more than a small pan of brownies.
The first thing that I do is to grease a 9×13 pan and line it with parchment paper. Grease and flour the parchment paper, too.
Next, make a 9×13 pan of your favorite cake type brownies. Brownies are super easy to make from scratch, and you probably already have all of the ingredients on hand. If you need a recipe, try this Best Basic Brownie recipe from PW’s Tasty Kitchen website.
Pour the brownie mixture into the pan and bake according to the directions. I won’t tell if you use a boxed brownie mix, but if you haven’t made them from scratch, try it – you will be surprised how easy it is.
Allow the baked brownies to cool completely.
Mocha Icing ingredients.
PW’s recipe calls for using brewed coffee. Whenever I have a recipe calling for brewed coffee, I make espresso instead. It results in a less bitter-tasting final product without an overwhelming mocha (or coffee flavor). Even people (especially kids) who claim to dislike mocha, will like the flavor imparted by using the espresso instead of brewed coffee.
Tip on making this icing – the key is to beat until the ingredients are very light and fluffy. The icing will start out dark and as you beat it, it will become much lighter. This will take several minutes. Take the time, it’s worth it!
Spread the Mocha Icing evenly over the top of the cooled brownies. Refrigerate until the icing is completely hardened. I usually make them the day before.
When ready, score the long edge of the brownie and carefully lift the entire brownie onto a large cutting board. Score and cut being careful to remove parchment paper when lifting the individual pieces from the cutting board.
Serve.
Yummy.
Brownies With Mocha Icing
Adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks Recipes From An Accidental Country Girl cookbook
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
5 cups powdered sugar
¼ cup cocoa powder
¾ tsp salt (reduce to ¼ tsp salt if using salted butter)
3 tsp vanilla extract
½ to ¾ cup espresso coffee, brewed and cooled (I use Medaglia D’Oro instant espresso coffee)
Make a batch of your favorite brownies in a 9×13 pan lined with parchment paper. Bake and allow to cool completely.
To make the icing, combine the softened butter, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and vanilla in a large bowl. Mix (use your stand mixer or a hand mixer) on low until slightly combined. Add ½ cup of the coffee. Whip until the icing is light and fluffy adding the additional ¼ cup of coffee if necessary. It will take several minutes to get very light and fluffy. Ice the cooled brownies and place in the refrigerator until the icing is firm.
Remove the brownies from the pan by running a sharp knife along the long edges of the pan and lift out using the parchment paper edges as handles. Place on a large cutting board. Score and cut into desired size pieces.
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