90's kids, rejoice! If your childhood memories consist of things like Easy-Bake Ovens, Tamagotchis, and the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air then more than likely, you also have a soft spot in your heart for a certain little chocolate dessert adorned with brightly colored candy-coated chocolate chips, and a creamy chocolate frosting. That's right, Cosmic Brownies are back and better than ever.
Unfortunately, Cosmic Brownies out of a box are likely not as good as you remember them, so in order to live up to those childhood lunchbox memories, you'll need to make them from scratch. But don't worry, we've got you covered with the new-and-improved, no artificial flavors, only-the-good-stuff version.
There is literally no wrong time to serve this brownie. Make a batch for your own kids to carry in their lunchboxes this school year or as a dessert for literally any kind of party. And when that pan is empty, don't worry, we've got your sweet tooth covered with our red velvet brownies, and banana brownies too! Once you make these your kid's standards will be set high! Don't worry, we have tons of brownie and bar recipes for you to make next!
HOW TO MAKE COSMIC BROWNIES
This homemade Cosmic Brownies recipe is absolute perfection. It comes equipped with a brownie base so incredibly moist and fudgy that it'll bring tears to your eyes. Then there is the creamy-dreamy chocolate ganache frosting and last, but certainly not least, those oh-so-happy colored chocolate sprinkles on top. Are you a chocolate lover? We have decadent chocolate recipes just for you!
THE BROWNIE LAYER
To kick off your Cosmic Brownies, the first thing you want to do is get your oven preheating to 350°F. Next, grab yourself a 9 x 13" cake pan. It is best if you can use a light-colored, metal baking pan rather than a glass or ceramic baking dish. Brownies baked in glass or ceramic baking vessels will take longer to cook through.
You will also want to take care to line the baking pan with nonstick aluminum foil, leaving a bit of an overhang over the sides so that you can easily lift the brownies from the pan after baking. Because this batter is thick, you'll find nonstick aluminum foil a much better liner than parchment paper. The foil will stay in place, while the parchment paper will wiggle as you are trying to spread the batter.
Once you've got your oven preheating and your pan ready to go, we can move on to the ingredients!
This Cosmic Brownies recipe calls for butter rather than oil. Butter will give these brownies better flavor and lends to that decadently fudgy brownie texture we know and love! To prep the butter, all you need to do is melt it in a microwave-safe bowl or pitcher and set it aside until ready to use. While you are waiting on your butter to cool down, you can go ahead and mix up your dry ingredients.
For the dry ingredients, you will need flour, cocoa powder, and fine sea salt. I noticed in many other Cosmic Brownie recipes you will also find cornstarch among the dry ingredients. Cornstarch is often used in baking in order to soften the proteins of flour, making your baked goods more tender. However, when it comes to these copycat Cosmic Brownies, we found this ingredient to be completely unnecessary so you can feel more than confident proceeding without it!
Combine all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, and fine sea salt in a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Make sure you are using good-quality cocoa powder for the best possible chocolate flavor! We use Hershey's Dutch chocolate cocoa powder and Rodell's cocoa powder interchangeably. Both are great brands.
Now, set the dry ingredients aside, and we will move back over to the wet ingredients!
Add the eggs, an egg yolk, and granulated sugar to a large mixing bowl, and whisk to combine. Not only will the extra egg yolk make your brownies extra decadent and rich, but it will also keep them perfectly moist for days to come!
Once you have those wet ingredients all mixed up and perfectly combined, slowly stream in the melted butter, whisking all the while. Now, you'll add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and use a sturdy wooden spoon to stir until smooth.
Transfer the Cosmic Brownies batter to the prepared pan and use an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to smooth over the top. Bake the brownies in the center of your oven for 20 to 22 minutes. You'll know the brownies are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out slightly damp, with just a few crumbs clinging to it. If the toothpick comes out with a light coating of batter clinging to it, bake for just a few minutes more.
Transfer the brownies to a cooling rack and allow them to cool in the pan. It is very important that your brownies cool to room temperature before moving on to the next step.
THE FROSTING
Once your Cosmic Brownies base is completely cool, it's time to whip up one seriously easy (yet seriously delicious) ganache topping! To make this ganache, begin by adding heavy cream to a microwave-safe bowl or pitcher. Microwave the cream for 30 to 45 seconds, or until the liquid is hot.
Carefully remove the hot heavy cream from the microwave and add one 8-ounce bar of either German chocolate or milk chocolate that has been finely chopped to the bowl. Note, most easy ganache recipes you'll find on the web call for semi-sweet chocolate chips. However, we have found consistent success in making a perfect ganache when using chocolate bars rather than chocolate chips. Chopping the chocolate is indeed an extra step; however, you don't have to worry about chocolate chips that refuse to melt down. This might come as a surprise to you, but chocolate chips that don't melt completely are a real deal problem in the baking world!
Once you've got your chopped chocolate in the bowl with the cream, allow it to sit for about one minute. Then, stir the chopped chocolate and heavy cream together until completely smooth. At this point, you'll add in the corn syrup and stir once more.
The corn syrup will keep your ganache looking extra gorgeous the next day and beyond. It adds a glossy finish to the frosting and also keeps the sugars from crystallizing. Yes, please.
Add the ganache to the cooled brownies and spread evenly across the top.
THE SPRINKLES
Last, but certainly not least, it's time to grab hold of those rainbow chip sprinkles! Rainbow chip sprinkles are tiny chocolate chips that have a candy coating surrounding them. They are colorful, and a real treat for the eyes! You can find rainbow chip sprinkles at Walmart, Amazon, or craft stores such as Michaels, Hobby Lobby, and Joanne! If you can't conveniently find rainbow chip sprinkles, feel free to use mini M&Ms instead; they are pretty much the exact same thing.
Add as many candy-coated chocolate chips across the top of your ganache as you'd like, and transfer the Cosmic Brownies to the refrigerator to chill. The brownies will need to set in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 to 3 hours. It is very important that your ganache is completely set before you remove the brownies from the pan.
Once your ganache topping is set, use the foil overhang to lift your brownies out of the pan and transfer them to a work surface. Cut your brownies into 16 squares and enjoy with a big scoop of ice cream or as is!
MAKE-AHEAD TIPS FOR COSMIC BROWNIES
Want to make things a little easier for your future self? Make the brownie base a day beforehand so you only have to worry about topping the next day!
HOW TO STORE COSMIC BROWNIES
Cosmic Brownies keep well in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Alternatively, you can freeze the brownie base for a later date by cutting it into squares and storing them in an air-tight container (separating the layers with sheets of wax paper) for up to 2 months.
6 MORE BROWNIE RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
- Oreo Brownies
- Peppermint Brownies
- Marshmallow Brownies
- Peanut Butter Brownies
- Little Debbie Copycat Brownies
- Halloween Brownies
Oreo Brownies
Peppermint Brownies
Marshmallow Brownies
Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies Recipe
Walnut Brownies
Halloween Brownies | Three Easy Decorating Ideas
Cosmic Brownies
Ingredients
For the Brownies:
- ¾ cup unsalted butter
- 1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup cocoa powder
- 1 ¼ teaspoons fine sea salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
For the Ganache:
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- 8 ounces finely chopped chocolate (from German chocolate or milk chocolate baking bars)
- 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
- ⅔ cup rainbow chip sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and have ready 9x13" baking dish, lined with nonstick aluminum foil, leaving a bit of an overhang up the sides for easy removal.
- Melt the butter in a microwave-safe bowl or pitcher and set aside until ready to use.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Whisk to combine.
- Add the eggs, the yolk, sugar, and vanilla to a large mixing bowl, and whisk until well combined. Slowly stream in the melted butter, whisking all the while.
- Add the dry ingredients, and stir to combine with a sturdy wooden spoon.
- Add the batter to the prepared pan and smooth over the top. Bake for 20-22 minutes, remove from the oven, and allow to cool completely in the pan.
To Make the Ganache:
- Add the heavy cream to a microwave-safe bowl or pitcher and microwave for 30-45 seconds, or until hot.
- Add the chopped chocolate to a small mixing bowl and pour over the hot heavy cream. Allow to sit for about 1 minute.
- Stir the mixture until completely smooth. Add in the corn syrup and stir once more.
- Pour the ganache over the brownies and spread to the edges. Sprinkle the rainbow chip sprinkles across the top and transfer to the refrigerator to set, about 2-3 hours.
- Once set, use the foil overhang to lift the brownies out of the pan and transfer to a work surface. Cut into 16 squares, taking care to remove any foil stuck to the bottom of your brownies, serve and enjoy.
Nutrition
Source: Baking With Cornstarch
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