Buttermilk Brownies

Cindy Lynn's Note:

Rich, tender, fudgy brownie that those chocolate lovers just can't resist. For a "mocha" experience, substitute coffee for the water. My family just can't help themselves, even when they're already "stuffed" when these are around.

• Total Time: 55 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 18

Brownies

• 1 cup butter or 1 cup margarine
• 1⁄3; cup hershey cocoa (regular-type, dry)
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup water (or 1 cup coffee)
• 2 cups unsifted all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 slightly beaten eggs
• ½ cup buttermilk
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla

Frosting

• ¼ cup butter
• 3 tablespoons hershey cocoa (regular type, dry)
• 3 tablespoons buttermilk
• 2 ¼ cups powdered sugar (confectioners')
• ½-1 teaspoon vanilla (your preference)
• ½ cup english walnuts (butternuts, pecans, black walnuts or similar type nuts can be substituted for the English walnuts)

Directions:

1. Brownies: In saucepan combine butter, cocoa, 2 cups sugar and 1 cup water (first four ingredients).
2. Bring to boil; stirring constantly.
3. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. In large mixing bowl, blend together flour, soda and salt.
5. In small bowl combine buttermilk, eggs and vanilla; whisk lightly with a fork.
6. Pour buttermilk mixture into dry ingredients; mix until smooth.
7. Add cocoa mixture gradually with mixer on low setting.
8. Mix until well blended (flour and buttermilk mixture will be thick and likely need to be scraped from sides of bowl to blend thoroughly).
9. Pour into greased 10 1/2 x 14 3/4 x 2 1/4 baking dish.
10. Bake at 375 deg F for 25 minutes; test with toothpick.
11. Immediately pour Frosting over brownies; spread evenly.
12. (Brownies will be very tender so spread gently.) Cool; cut into bars and serve.
13. Frosting: In saucepan, mix 1/4 cup butter, 3 tablespoons cocoa and 3 tablespoons buttermilk.
14. Cook and stir till boiling (mixture will be slightly curdled); remove from heat.
15. Beat in 2 1/4 cups powdered sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.
16. Fold in English walnuts.

Reviews

[Lisa Pizza]

Oh my gosh!! These are so decadent! It's my first attempt at brownies from scratch, so I was a bit intimidated by all the steps - but it really was a snap, once I got all the ingredients lined up. The brownies are more cakey than fudgey, which I love, and the frosting is nice and fudgey - as it should be! :) Thanks, Cindy Lynn

[Laudee]

OMG, Cindy Lynn, these brownies are magnificent!!!!! I thought your chocolate cake was TOP-DOG, but these run neck-in-neck with it! They are just soooooo good! Followed your directions, and BTW, used your buttermilk recipe, of course! They're real easy to mix up and bake, and the taste is just wunnerful, wunnerful, wunnerful!! Can't thank you enough for sharing such a great recipe. Laudee C.

[Anne G.]

Whoops!!! Make sure that you don't mix the buttermilk mix with the dry ingredients too vigorously, because they really get gooey! (just as Cindy warned they would) Even with the buttermilk clumps, they still tasted verrry good :) Next time I'll be a bit more careful.