Oreo Brownies

It seems like everyone out in food blog land is baking with Oreo cookies, so I decided to jump on the bandwagon and throw some Oreos into a classic fudgy brownie recipe.  The Oreos in the brownie add a nice little crunch and texture, but its the Oreo frosting that really puts these brownies over the top.  This is one of my new favorites.  If you are not up to the task of making a homemade brownie you can substitute a boxed mix.  However, this is a one bowl brownie recipe so it is not much more work to just go ahead and make it from scratch.

OREO BROWNIES

INGREDIENTS - BROWNIES
4 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
3/4 cup butter
2 cups white sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
15 Oreo cookies, cut into quarters

INGREDIENTS - FROSTING
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-3 tablespoons milk
8 Oreo cookies, finely crushed
pinch of salt

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Set aside a greased 9 x 13 inch pan.

2. Chop the chocolate.  Microwave chocolate and butter in large bowl for 2 minutes or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is melted. Stir in sugar. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Stir in flour just until combined.

3. Sprinkle the quartered Oreo cookies into the prepared pan. Pour batter over the cookies in an even layer. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with fudgy crumbs, taking care not to overbake. Cool brownies completely.

4. For the frosting, beat together the butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Add milk as needed and beat until fluffy. Add in crushed Oreo cookies, mixing until combined. Spread frosting over cooled brownies.  If desired, chop some of the leftover Oreos and sprinkle them over the frosting for garnish.

This post is linked to Sweets for a Saturday.