Orange Brownies
from Fit, Fresh & Fast, page 87
1/4 cup margarine or butter
2 oz unsweetened chocloate, cut up
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup frozen Florida Orange Juice *Concentrate,* thawed
1 tsp. finely shredded Florida orange peel
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1/8 tsp. baking soda
Grease an 8x8x2" baking pan; set aside. In a medium saucepan met margarine or butter and chocolate over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Cool 5 minutes. Add the sugar eggs, thawed orange juice concentrate, shredded orange peel, and vanilla. Beat by hand just until combined.
Stir in flour, nuts, and baking soda until combined. Spread the batter in prepared baking pan.
Bake at 350 for 20 minutes for a fudgy brownie. For a firmer brownie, bake 25 minutes. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Spread Orange-Fudge frosting over cooled brownies. If desired, score frosting decoratively with tines of fork. Cut into bars. Makes 16 brownies.
Orange-Fudge Frosting
In a medium mixing bowl stir together 1 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar and 3 Tbs. unsweetened cocoa powder. Add 3 Tbs. softened margarine or butter, 1 Tbs. frozen Florida orange juice concentrate (thawed), 1 Tbs. boiling water, and 1/2 tsp. vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until combined. Beat on medium speed for 1 minute more. Stir in 1/2 tsp. finely shredded Florida orange peel.
EMILY SAYS: I was a little disappointed, although the frosting is something I may want to use at some point in some variation. The frosting was more orangey than the brownies themselves. I doubled the brownie recipe, and made a single frosting recipe. That came out about right.
LYNDA SAYS: I especially liked the flavor of the frosting -- YUM. The orange was less detectable in the brownie itself, though probably that was in part just the contrast with the frosting. Had these been cut smaller I would have gotten a second one despite the large meal.