Boneyard Brownies with Dark Chocolate Frosting

Perhaps it is a little over-the-top to call these brownies “Boneyard Brownies,” but, since we are getting close to Halloween, I think that adding a little bit of drama to what is otherwise a good – if undramatic – dessert is just fine. I turned this batch of brownies into boneyard brownies by topping them with dark chocolate frosting and lots of Scary Bones Sprinkles!

The brownies are my standard brownie recipe. They have a great texture that is dense, tender and just fudgy enough to make them seem very rich and satisfying. This is in part due to the fact that there is no leavening in this brownie recipe, so don’t be alarmed when you see that there is no baking powder or baking soda included on the ingredient list! Once the brownies were baked and cooled, I frosted them and added the decorations. The frosting is a very small batch of chocolate frosting, made with dark chocolate and cocoa powder. It’s a good match for the brownies in terms of flavor and texture. If you prefer to use milk or semisweet chocolate, you can substitute them into the frosting recipe, although the finished frosting might be slightly lighter in color.

You could omit the decorative bones if you’re making these for any other occasion, of course, but if you’re making these for Halloween I highly recommend looking for some bone-shaped sprinkles at a store near you. If you can’t find them, use any other Halloween sprinkles that you like, or use a bit of white frosting to pipe on some bones, instead! However you serve them, these are a great treat for chocolate lovers – even those who already have a bag full of Halloween candy.

Brownies with Dark Chocolate Frosting
1/2 cup butter
2-oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup flour
3 tbsp cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
Dark Chocolate Frosting (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8×8-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil and lightly grease.
In a small, heatproof bowl, melt butter and chocolate together. Stir with a fork until very smooth. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.
In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, eggs and vanilla extract. Whisking steadily, pour chocolate mixture into sugar mixture. Stir until smooth. Sift flour, cocoa powder and salt into the bowl and stir until just combined, then pour brownie batter into prepared pan.
Bake for about 35 minutes, until brownies set and a toothpick inserted into the middle of the pan comes out with only a few moist crumbs, not batter, attached.
Cool in the pan completely before frosting.

Makes 25 brownies.

Dark Chocolate Frosting
1/4 cup butter
2 oz dark chocolate, chopped
2 tbsp cocoa powder (pref. Dutch process)
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tbsp milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

In a small, microwave safe bowl, melt together butter and unsweetened chocolate. Heat in 30-45 second intervals, stirring frequently, until mixture is smooth. Cool for about 5 minutes, or until mixture is close to room temperature.
Transfer butter mixture to a larger bowl. Beat in cocoa powder, 1 cup confectioners sugar, milk, and vanilla, beating until frosting is smooth and slightly fluffy. Add additional confectioners’ sugar to thicken, if needed.