Old-Fashioned Ultra-Chewy Brownies (adapted slightly from Cooking Classy)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, minus 2 Tb (take out 2 Tb of the flour)
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 Tb milk
1 recipe Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting (below)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease/butter and line an 8x8 baking dish. (I recommend lining for easy removal!)
Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl, and set aside. (Be gentle, that cocoa powder can poof all over the place, just like powdered sugar!)
In a large mixing bowl, mix together granulated sugar, light-brown sugar and melted butter with a wooden spoon until combined. Stir in eggs and vanilla extract and mix until smooth.
Add half of the flour mixture and mix just until combined, stir in milk, then add remaining flour mixture and mix just until combined. Be careful not to overmix! This makes a very thick batter.
Spoon batter into a greased/buttered 8x8 baking dish and spread into the corners, as evenly as you can.
Bake for 35 - 45 minutes, or until center is almost set. Let cool completely and frost with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting before cutting into squares. Store in an airtight container.
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
5 oz cream cheese, softened
3 Tbsp butter, softened
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp cocoa powder
Beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add in vanilla and powdered sugar, then sift in cocoa powder and mix until smooth and fluffy.