Fudge-Topped Brownies

How have I been posting for this many months and not shared a brownie recipe with you?  I hope you’ve looked past that little shortcoming.  What is more exciting than a perfect brownie studded with walnuts and topped with a layer of fudgy frosting?  Maybe a brownie that is sandwiched between an oatmeal crust and a layer of fudgy frosting?  I hope that is your answer, because that is the recipe that I’m sharing with you.

I found the idea for this brownie in a Better Homes and Garden cookie book that was published in 1975 that I recently bought at a great used book store called the Owl Pen.  I was sitting on the train reading the cookbook on our way back from Albany when I saw the photograph, and I immediately wanted one of the brownies.  Since I was on the train, I had to settle for peanut M&M’s instead.  Life is rough.  Two weeks later, I finally got the chance to bake these brownies; it was definitely worth the wait.  They’re nutty, rich, and provide the perfect blast of chocolate.  In other words, they’re pretty exciting.

Notes:
The fudge layer on top of these brownies is prone to melting if left in a hot environment, so I don’t recommend trying to transport these brownies long distances during the summer unless you have a way to keep them cool.  I start this recipe by toasting 1¼ cups of walnut halves in a dry skillet.  Once the nuts are toasted, I roughly chop all of the walnuts, set aside a half cup for the brownie layer, and then finely chop the rest for the crust layer.  If there is more than a half cup of the finely chopped walnuts, I just add them to the brownie layer.  I bake these in a glass pan.  If you use a metal pan, you may need to reduce the baking time.

Recipe adapted from Homemade Cookies Cook Book and The Essential Baker:  The Comprehensive Guide to Baking with Chocolate, Fruit, Nuts, Spices, and Other Ingredients

Crust Ingredients:
½ cup rolled oats
½ cup finely chopped toasted walnuts
½ cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon honey

Brownie Ingredients:
⅔ cup all-purpose flour
⅔ cup cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon espresso powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup light brown sugar
¾ cup granulated sugar
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup chopped toasted walnuts

Fudge Frosting Ingredients:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1 cup dark or bittersweet chocolate chips or chunks

Yields approximately 64 1x1-inch brownies

Make and Bake the Crust:
Place the oven rack in the middle level of the oven, and preheat to 350ºF.  Line an 8x8-inch pan with foil, leaving a two-inch overhang on two sides, and set aside.  In a medium-sized bowl, combine the oats, walnuts, flour, baking soda, salt, and brown sugar, and toss to combine.  Add the butter, vanilla, and honey, and stir until the dry ingredients are evenly coated.  Press the mixture into the prepared baking pan, and bake at 350ºF for 10 minutes until the layer has just started to brown.  Do not turn off the oven when you remove the baked crust.  

Make and Bake the Brownie Layer:
While the crust is baking, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, espresso powder, and salt, and set aside.  In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the brown and granulated sugars, butter, and vegetable oil.  Once the mixture is well mixed, add the lightly beaten egg and vanilla, and stir until combined.  Add the flour in halves, stirring just until all of the flour streaks are gone.  Gently stir in the walnuts.  Spoon the brownie mixture on top of the oatmeal crust layer, and use a spatula to gently smooth it out into an even layer.  Place the pan back in the oven, and continue to bake at 350ºF for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Allow the brownies to cool completely before frosting.

Cover It with Fudge Frosting:
Once the brownies have cooled completely, prepare the fudge frosting.  Place the butter and heavy whipping cream in a small saucepan, and heat until the mixture just  begins to boil.  Turn off the heat, remove the pan from the stove, and add the chocolate to the cream/butter mixture in the saucepan.  Stir the mixture until the chocolate is fully melted.  Allow the mixture to cool for 10-15 minutes, then pour it over the tops of the uncut brownies in the pan, and use a spatula to smooth out the top.  Allow the bar to sit at room temperature for another 10-15 minutes so the fudge can continue cooling, then cover the pan with plastic wrap, taking care to not let the plastic wrap touch the fudge layer.  Place the pan in the refrigerator, and cool until the fudge is completely set.

Cut It:
Once the fudge is set, remove the pan from the fridge.  Use the foil overhang to lift the bars out of the pan.  Carefully peel off the foil and use a sharp knife to cut into one-inch squares.  Store the brownies in an airtight container in the refrigerator.  Allow them to come to room temperature before serving. Pin It