Here I go again with the citrus, but how can I not share these with you if I know they are truly one of the best regular dessert items at our house. They are exactly as they sound… brownies, with all their wonderful dense and chewy qualities, but with a bright and refreshing orange-y zing. Bite into one of these and you’ll experience a delectable explosion of flavor in your mouth that is perfectly balanced with just the right amount of sweet, the perfect spark of orange and a texture that will have you grabbing for another before the last bite is going down. This recipe is from Paula Deen but with a slight adjustment to the extracts. She called for 2 teaspoons of orange extract in the brownie, but I use 1 teaspoon of orange and 1 teaspoon of vanilla so that it’s not too overpoweringly super-orange. I keep these in the fridge after frosting them so they become a little more firm. You could also keep in the freezer and pull out a few minutes before serving so they’re a wonderful frosty cold. (Love that!) Either way, the end result is a cool, scrumptious and aaahhh…. re-freshing treat! You’ve got to try them this summer.
The frosting recipe makes a lot, but trust me, you don’t want to cut the recipe. It is seriously so crazy-good you’re going to want to have the little extra to spread on everything you can find in your fridge perhaps some green veggies or to freeze for a later use!
Orange Brownies
(slightly adapted from Paula Deen)
Ingredients
* 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 cups granulated sugar
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
* 4 eggs
* 1 teaspoon orange extract
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
* 1 recipe Orange Cream Cheese Frosting, recipe follows
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13 by 9 by 2-inch pan.
Orange Brownies:
Stir together flour, granulated sugar, and salt in a bowl. Add butter, eggs, orange extract, vanilla extract and orange zest. Using a handheld electric mixer, beat until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until light golden brown and set. Remove from oven, allow to cool and pierce entire cake with a fork. Spread the Orange Cream Cheese Frosting over completely cooled brownies. Cut into squares.
Orange Cream Cheese Frosting:
* 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
* 4 tablespoons softened butter
* 1 (1-pound) box confectioners’ sugar
* 2 tablespoons orange zest
* 2 tablespoons orange juice
In a large mixing bowl, whip the butter and cream cheese together with a hand-held electric mixer. Gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar until it is all combined and smooth. Beat in the orange zest and juice. Spread over brownies.