Cosmic Brownies - Little Debbie Style

Don't you just love the Little Debbie Cosmic Brownies? I remember being able to go to the store when I was younger and getting an individual pack for $.25! Isn't that unreal? They're so dense, chewy, and chocolate-y, and none of the brownie recipes I've tried have come close to having that consistency. Until now. This recipe is golden. It is by far the fudgiest brownie I've ever made. I also love that the recipe calls for cocoa powder and not unsweetened chocolate squares as many brownie recipes do. I always have cocoa powder, but it's pretty rare that I'll stock unsweetened chocolate . . . I'm not sure why that is.

These came out so similar to the Little Debbie ones that I've loved since before I can remember, so I know I'll definitely be making them again. The frosting is a simple ganache (cream/milk and chocolate), and the original called for bittersweet chocolate. I only had semi-sweet chocolate chips, so I used those and it turned out great; next time I might use all or half milk chocolate chips because I usually like my frosting a tad sweeter. Any way you frost it, it'll be good - if you have a brownie frosting that you love use it!

This brownie base is really amazing and I think it might end up being my go-to scratch brownie recipe from now on. I hope you enjoy these as much as I did!

Cosmic Brownies (original can be found here)
Brownies
1 c. sugar
2/3 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. butter, melted
2 Tbls. water
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/3 c. flour
3/4 c. cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1. Preheat oven to 350, and line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper and spray lightly with nonstick spray.
2. Whisk together sugar, brown sugar, butter, water, eggs, and vanilla.
3. Slowly whisk in cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Fold in flour until just combined.
4. Spread into prepared pan and bake 18-20 minutes. Don't overbake these. Allow to cool.
Ganache
1/2 c. heavy cream (I used whole milk and it worked well)
7 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
pinch of salt
sprinkles, if desired
1. Pour chocolate into a bowl and set aside.
2. In a small pan, bring milk or cream just to a simmer (bubbles around the edges of the pan). Pour over chocolate and allow to sit for 1-2 minutes.
3. Add salt, and gently stir everything together with a spatula until it's smooth. Spread over prepared brownies and refrigerate about 1 hour so the ganache can set.

Hugs and cookies,

Amanda