Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Sheila's Famous Brownies

I'll be honest: I'm not sure who Sheila is, and I'm not sure where this recipe came from. It's another one that my mom made while I was growing up, and my Googling to attempt to find the source provided no answers. So, I will just say to Sheila, whoever she is, thanks for making these. With layers of brownie, buttercream, and chocolate glaze, they're the perfect treat for a sugar - and specifically chocolate - addict like me. I think in the future I'll try to find a from-scratch brownie recipe with the right texture to make it that much better - but they're still plenty tasty this way!



Sorry the picture's not great...the pan was almost all gone by the time I got a chance to take one...plus I neglected to recruit Shaun as photographer again!

Sheila's Famous Brownies

1 - 20 to 24 oz package brownie mix, plus ingredients needed for baking
2 sticks butter (1 at room temp)
1 lb powdered sugar (about 3 3/4 cups)
2-3 tablespoons milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips

For brownies: Mix and bake the brownies according to package directions for cakelike brownies. Bake in a 13 x 9 inch pan. Cool on wire rack.
For frosting: In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened stick of butter with an electric mixer until fluffy. Gradually add 2 cups of the powdered sugar, beating well. Mix in 2 tablespoons of the milk and the vanilla. Slowly beat in remaining powdered sugar. Beat in additional milk, if needed, to make a spreadable mixture. Spread over cooled brownies.
For glaze: In a small saucepan (or microwave-safe bowl), combine chocolate pieces and remaining butter. Cook and stir over low heat until melted and combined. Slowly pour over frosting.
Refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes or until chocolate is set.
The recipe says to store at room temperature, but I think refrigerated is fine too - just depends on what kind of texture you prefer.

*Completely unrelated to the rest of this post...we are leaving for Notre Dame tomorrow afternoon for the first football game of the season! So excited for the weekend - I'll be back with pictures next week!*

2 comments:

Missy B- Archdale, NC said...

I HAVE this recipe and have made it for years! I tore a page out of a magazine years ago called "Midwest Living" and this recipe, Sheila's Famous Brownies, was on the page :) My kids LOVE it, so they call it "Mom's" famous brownies! Haha! Now my two oldest kids have gone off to college and are renting apartments. I was making a cook book for each of them with their favorite recipes from home and was looking for photos to go with each recipe. I did a google search for Sheila's Famous Brownies and yours was the only photo I could find. So THANK YOU for posting! ** Just a little FYI- the magazine page says that the recipe came from a woman named Cindy Leonard of Vernon Hills, IL and that the recipe was named for Cindy's mother-in-law, Sheila Leonard :)

Molly said...

Thanks so much for your comment! I'm glad that even though I haven't tended to this blog for years it's proven useful for someone. :-) And thanks for the recipe source - I guess I shouldn't be surprised that it was from Midwest Living since I grew up in Minnesota! My mom put together a similar cookbook for me when I got my first place after graduation. :-)