Espresso Brownies

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spray a 9×13” pan with baking spray and then line it with parchment paper that overhangs the pan.

For the brownies:

Melt the chocolate in a small bowl in the microwave.

In the bowl of a standing mixer, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the espresso and mix well, and then add the eggs one at a time and whip until fluffy. Add the melted chocolate to the batter and mix well.

Combine the flour, cocoa powder, and chocolate chips in a separate bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the mixer bowl and combine until you have a thick batter.

Pour the batter into the parchment-lined pan and spread evenly. Bake the brownies at 350ºF for 50 minutes .

Let the brownies cool completely before frosting them. While the brownies are cooling, make the frosting.

For the espresso frosting:

Whip together the butter, espresso, powdered sugar and whipping cream until you have a fluffy frosting.

When the brownies are cool, spread the frosting over the top of the brownies in a thick, even layer. Put the brownies into the freezer to chill for about 1 hour.

Pull the brownies out by the parchment paper and trim the edges off and slice the brownies into squares or rectangles.

Sprinkle the brownies with colored sugars if desired.

Enjoy!