Cappuccino Frosted Brownies

And then my freshman year of college was over.   Just like that.

I’m home for the summer now, which means I am back to having the luxury of my own bathroom, free laundry, and a spacious kitchen.  It's the little things that make a difference, you know?

When I opened the pantry shortly after my arrival,  I found this.  Hazelnut Mocha Cappuccino spread.  Sometimes I wonder why I went so far away to school.

This spread is the key to these brownies.  Doesn't it sound awesome?  It's like Nutella 2.0!  We add some ground coffee beans to the brownie batter for an extra kick, but the main cappuccino flavor is in the frosting.

If you're not a fan of coffee, then you probably won't like this frosting.  This hazelnut spread has a pretty strong coffee flavor, which I like, but I know is not equally loved by everyone.  If you are a fan of coffee, then I'm sure you will love this frosting just as much as I do!

What you need:

For the brownies:

1 box of your favorite brownie mix.  I LOVE Ghirardelli mixes.

Eggs, oil, and water called for on the box

1 Tbs ground coffee or espresso beans

For the frosting:

½ C (1 stick) butter, softened

1/3 C Hazelnut Mocha Cappuccino spread

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 C Powdered sugar

An extra pinch of ground coffee beans, if desired

What you do:

Prepare the brownies as directed on the box.   While the baked brownies are cooling, prepare the frosting.   Make sure the brownies are completely cooled before frosting them-we don't want our frosting to melt off!

Beat the butter and hazelnut spread with an electric mixture until fluffy.  Add vanilla extract, powdered sugar, and coffee beans (if using), adding more sugar if necessary to reach the desired consistency.  

Pile the frosting on there nice and high. 

This brownies are rich and decadent, and I cannot stress to you enough how great the frosting is!  

It sure is good to be back home.