Cosmic Brownies {Little Debbie Copycat Recipe}

Cosmic Brownies

from Fake Ginger, adapted from Elle’s New England Kitchen  

Ingredients:

For the brownies: 

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/2 sticks butter, melted
• 2 tbs water
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teas vanilla
• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1/2 teas baking powder
• 1/4 teas salt

For the ganache: 

• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 7 oz bittersweet chocolate
• pinch of salt

• And lets not forget some sprinkles.

Preparation:

For the brownies: Heat oven to 350F.  Line a 13 x 9 pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil, then lightly grease. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the sugars, butter and water with a whisk. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Stir the dry mix into the wet mixture and stir to combine. With a rubber spatula, spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 18 minutes. Don’t over bake (the key to a classic Cosmic Brownie was its dense fudgy texture).

Set aside on a rack to cool.

For the ganache: Place the chocolate in a bowl and set aside. In a small saucepan, heat the cream just to a simmer. Don’t boil it, just wait till you see little bubbles starting to form around the edges. Remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate. Sprinkle with the salt and let it all sit for a minute or so. Gently stir with a rubber spatula until all of the chocolate is melted. Cool slightly.

When the brownies are almost completely cooled, pour the ganache over and spread it evenly over the top. Let loose with some sprinkles. Cool completely.

When ganache is set, lift them out with the foil and cut into small squares.