Ingredients
For the brownies:
- 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoons dark unsweetened cocoa powder
- 5.5 ounces dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- Zest of one orange
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
For the frosting:
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon whiskey
For the fondant:
- 1 1/2 tbsp butter
- 1 1/2 tbsp sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- dash vanilla
- food coloring
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter the sides and bottom of a 9×9-inch baking pan. Line the pan with parchment paper.
- Zest the orange into the granulated sugar, and massage it in until fragrant.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, salt, and cocoa powder together. Place the chocolate and butter in a saucepan (or using a double broiler) over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and smooth. Turn off the heat, but keep the pot on the stove and add the orange sugar and brown sugar. Whisk until completely combined, then remove pan from stovetop and allow to come to room temperature.
- Add 2 eggs to the chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Do not overbeat the batter at this stage or your brownies will be cakey.
- Sprinkle the flour mixture over the chocolate mixture. Using a rubber spatula (not a whisk), fold the flour mixture into the chocolate until just a bit of the flour mixture is still visible.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake in the center of the oven for 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out with a few moist crumbs sticking to it.
- Let the brownies cool completely, then lift them out of the pan using the parchment paper.
- While they’re cooling, prepare the frosting: in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and whiskey until creamy. Slowly add in powdered sugar and salt, and beat until light and fluffy.
- Frost cool brownies with the orange frosting. If you want the lava effect, sprinkle a bit of cocoa powder on top and swirl it into the frosting in patches.
- Place rings (see recipe below) into the lava frosting.
- Cut into squares and serve. Store at room temperature in an airtight container or wrap with plastic wrap for up to 3 days.
To make the fondant rings:
- Mix butter, sweetened condensed milk, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl until fondant has the consistency of modeling clay. If fondant is too moist, knead in additional confectioners’ sugar.
- Dye with gold food coloring, and mold the fondant into ring shapes.
Notes
Fondant from AllRecipes