!!WARNING!! These brownies are highly addictive. My husband says it is the brown butter frosting that makes these so irresistible.
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I found the recipe on Life's Simple Measures, she found it on The Girl Who Ate Everything (she calls them Monkey Squares), and she found got the recipe from The Welcome Mat. Just happy the recipe was discovered!
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INGREDIENTS
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Banana Bread Brownies
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup buttermilk (or sour cream)
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups (3 or 4) ripe bananas, mashed
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
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Brown Butter Frosting
1/2 cup butter
4 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
3 Tbsp milk
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DIRECTIONS
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Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease and flour 15x10-inch jelly roll pan.
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For the bars
Beat together sugar, buttermilk (or sour cream, I have tried both and prefer the buttermilk), butter, and eggs until creamy. Blend in bananas and vanilla. Add flour, baking soda, salt, and blend for 1 minute. Stir in walnuts, if desired.
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For the bars
Beat together sugar, buttermilk (or sour cream, I have tried both and prefer the buttermilk), butter, and eggs until creamy. Blend in bananas and vanilla. Add flour, baking soda, salt, and blend for 1 minute. Stir in walnuts, if desired.
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Spread batter evenly into pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.
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Meanwhile...
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For frosting
In a large saucepan, heat butter over medium heat until boiling. Allow the butter turn a delicate brown, then remove from heat immediately. Add powdered sugar, vanilla and milk. Whisk together until smooth. Using a spatula, spread the frosting over the warm brownies. (the frosting will be easier to spread while the bars are still warm).
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Note: The original recipe said the frosting should be thicker than a glaze but thinner than frosting. I have made this a few times now and my frosting has always come out thick. To help smooth the frosting over the brownies this is what I do - using a small cookie scoop, I scoop the frosting all over the top of the brownies, then I place the pan back into the warm oven (which has been turned off - still warm though from baking). This allows the frosting to melt slightly, allowing me to spread it easily over the brownies.
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For frosting
In a large saucepan, heat butter over medium heat until boiling. Allow the butter turn a delicate brown, then remove from heat immediately. Add powdered sugar, vanilla and milk. Whisk together until smooth. Using a spatula, spread the frosting over the warm brownies. (the frosting will be easier to spread while the bars are still warm).
*
Note: The original recipe said the frosting should be thicker than a glaze but thinner than frosting. I have made this a few times now and my frosting has always come out thick. To help smooth the frosting over the brownies this is what I do - using a small cookie scoop, I scoop the frosting all over the top of the brownies, then I place the pan back into the warm oven (which has been turned off - still warm though from baking). This allows the frosting to melt slightly, allowing me to spread it easily over the brownies.
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