Unbelievably Delicious Brownies

 

I say “unbelievably” for three reasons: 1) because they’re that good if you love really rich, really gooey, really dense chocolate desserts, 2) because who’d think you’d love something with marshmallows in the frosting, and 3) because who knew you’d love Paula Dean’s Aunt Maggie’s recipe? When Emma and I saw Paula make them, we just knew they’d be great. Emma made them all by herself, and they are positively sublime. We can barely control ourselves. Try to overlook the massive amounts of sugar and butter, just dive in and try ’em–even the marshmallow factor (usually a deal breaker for me) adds to their deliciousness. You frost the brownies as soon as they come out of the oven, the mini-marshmallows mostly melt into their chocolate foundation, giving it a heavenly consistency when cool. You have to force yourself to wait, the frosting will harden slightly and that’s when you can dig in.

Brownie

4 oz. unsweetened chocolate

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

4 large eggs

2 cups sugar

1 t. vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted

 

Frosting

4 oz.  unsweetened chocolate

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

1/2 cup pasteurized egg substitute (recommended: Egg Beaters)

1 t. vanilla extract

1 (1-pound) box confectioners’ sugar, sifted

4 cups mini marshmallows

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13-by-9 inch baking pan.

Melt the chocolate and butter in a 2-quart bowl in the microwave on high for 3 minutes, stirring every 20 to 30 seconds until the chocolate is completely melted. Add the eggs, sugar, and vanilla and mix well with a spatula. Add the flour and stir to combine. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Bake for 25 minutes.

While the brownies are baking, make the frosting. Melt the chocolate and butter in a medium bowl in the microwave on high for 3 minutes, stirring every 20 to 30 seconds until the chocolate is completely melted. Add the egg substitute, vanilla and sugar, and stir with a spoon until smooth. Stir in the marshmallows. Spread the frosting over the warm brownies. The frosting will set up when the brownies are completely cooled.