Mississippi Mud Brownies

Source: Tasty Kitchen

Not the best photo ever - but they didn't last long!

Ingredients:
for the brownies:
¾ cup all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup white sugar
¾ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 whole large eggs
¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
½ cup crunchy peanut butter (we had creamy open, so creamy was used)
1-½ teaspoons canola oil
2 cups mini marshmallows (we had big ones that I cut into fourths)
½ cup chopped and toasted pecans (I was afraid of toasting nuts because I was worried about burning them - it's really not scary - just spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray and toast the nuts at 350F for 5 minutes or until they become aromatic - got that tip from food.com)

for the icing:
2 cups confectioner's sugar
⅛ teaspoons salt (don't be like me and misread this as 1/2 teaspoon - that is way too much salt!)
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ cup + 2 Tablespoons milk
¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8×8″ square baking pan with parchment paper or foil. If using foil, spray it with cooking spray.  (I just greased my pan really well and they came out easily.)

In medium bowl, combine flour, 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Set aside.  In large mixing bowl, beat together 1/2 cup butter, sugar, and 3/4 teaspoons vanilla until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time. Stir dry ingredients into batter. Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Bake in preheated oven for 22-25 minutes.

When brownie layer is done baking, combine peanut butter and oil in a microwave safe bowl or measuring cup and microwave on high for 20 seconds to soften. Pour this warm mixture over hot brownie and spread.

Sprinkle the peanut butter covered brownies with marshmallows. Return to oven to bake for 3 more minutes, or until the marshmallows puff. Remove from oven and sprinkle puffed marshmallows with toasted pecans.

To make frosting, combine confectioner's sugar and salt. In small saucepan, melt 4 Tablespoons butter over medium heat. When butter is melted, add the 2 Tablespoons of cocoa powder and 1/4 cup of the milk and heat until the mixture begins to boil. Pour this mixture into confectioners sugar/salt mixture and beat on high speed with an electric mixer until smooth and glossy. If frosting is not pourable at this point, add remaining 2 Tablespoons of milk. Lastly, beat in 1/4 teaspoon vanilla, then pour evenly over puffed marshmallows and pecans.

Let cool completely in refrigerator for 1-2 hours. Cut into squares and enjoy!

Notes:
Enjoy we did!  I saw this recipe pop up on the Tasty Kitchen Blog while visiting my family in Logan last week.  My sister came home from work/school that day and starting describing this awesome brownie recipe she had seen online that morning.  It was the same recipe.  This one.  My mom was kind enough to let me take over her kitchen and her ingredients for the morning while I whipped these up.  (I told her I probably would never make them at my apartment because I don't have all those ingredients on hand - she did, which made things really easy.)  They are super rich, so a little bite goes a long way.  But they really are quite heavenly.  Just remember 1/8 teaspoon salt in the frosting - NOT 1/2 - and you should be fine.  :)