Gone Batty for Faux Buttermilk Brownies

I LOVE brownies! Cake brownies, fudge brownies, cakey fudge brownies. Get the picture?

Curious about the "faux" in the title? The secret ingredient is not buttermilk......give me a drum roll please..... it is plain yogurt!

Buttermilk is used so infrequently at my house that it just doesn't make sense to buy a carton to make one recipe. So, I substitute plain yogurt mixed with milk to achieve the consistency of buttermilk. The yogurt works fabulously.

Today's post is a recipe for a made-from-scratch, cake brownie that is topped with a ganache-type frosting made from sweetened condensed milk and semi sweet chocolate chips. The sweetness is more subtle than with powdered sugar frosting.

The chocolate flavor is more subtle than in most brownies. These brownies are a great after school snack, or they go well with morning coffee. Actually, I already had one with my coffee as I was writing this. 

Another plus, bake time is fifteen minutes because you cook the brownies on a large cookie sheet.

Brownie Ingredients

• 1 stick margarine
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 2 cups flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 rounded Tbsp. plain yogurt
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Brownie Directions

• Combine margarine, water, cocoa, and oil in a saucepan. 
• Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
• Remove from heat and cool briefly
• Place dry ingredients into a bowl.
• Stir dry ingredients until will mixed.
• Pour cocoa mixture over the dry ingredients
• Stir three or four times.
• Place 2 rounded, Tbsp. of plain yogurt into a liquid measuring cup. Add just enough water or milk to make 1/2 cup of liquid.

I was a little over 1/2 cup, but I only used 1/2 cup of the thinned yogurt.

• Add thinned yogurt, eggs, and vanilla to the brownie mixture.
• Stir just until well blended.
• Pour into a foil lined, 10 inch x 15 inch cookie sheet with sides.

• Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for fifteen minutes.
• Cool and frost.

Frosting Ingredients

1 - 14 oz. can of sweetened, condensed milk (not evaporated milk)
1 oz., or 3 Tbsp.,semi sweet chocolate chips
1 Tbsp. water
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Frosting Directions

• Over medium heat, in a heavy saucepan, melt chocolate with sweetened condensed milk.
• Cook and stir until it thickens. The original recipe said ten minutes, but mine thickened within five to six minutes.

• Remove from heat. 
• Stir in Tbsp. of water; cool. 
• Stir in vanilla. 
• Pour and spread onto pan of brownies. 

• Let frosted brownies sit until frosting is completely cool.

I use a 2" - 3" square, scalloped edge, cookie cutter to cut my brownies.

Slice and serve some homemade happiness on a plate!