Black and White Brownies with Pecans

Good Morning!  

It's definitely spring in Ohio - 80 degrees and windows open one day and 60 degrees and rain the next.  

I love rainy days though - they give us a good excuse to bake!  

These brownies were inspired by a recipe I found in a cookbook at the library called Budget Meals Cookbooks.  I changed it a bit and re-wrote the instructions because I found the original ones a bit "out of step" if you will.  

I hope you like these decadent, delicious, not-so-fat-free chocolate brownies!

Black and White Brownies with Pecans

Ingredients for the Brownies

• 1 19-ounce package of your favorite fudge brownie mix
• 1 10 to 12-ounce package of white baking pieces - I used Ghirardelli white chocolate chips
• 1 6-ounce package semisweet chocolate pieces - I used what I had on hand, which was Bakers Semisweet Chocolate (6 ounces equate to approximately 1 cup)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Grease the bottom of 13x9x2-inch baking pan and set this aside.

Mix up the brownie mix according to the directions on the box.  

Stir in all of the white baking chips and 1/2 of the semisweet chocolate baking pieces or chips.  It will be a thick batter.  You will use the other 1/2 cup of the semisweet chocolate pieces on top of the frosted brownies.

Spread the batter into your prepared pan.

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 1/2 hour or until you can see that the center is set.  Remove from the oven and cool on wire rack.

Ingredients for the Frosting

• 1/4 cup butter (not margarine), melted
• 3 Tablespoons hot water
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3/4 cup pecan pieces

For the topping or frosting of the brownies, begin by mixing together the melted butter and hot water in a medium size bowl.  

Once that is mixed well, add the powdered sugar and mix again.  Next, add the unsweetened cocoa powder and then the vanilla.  Mix together until the frosting has a smooth consistency.

Spread the frosting over the brownies (completely cooled brownies).  

Sprinkle the top with the remaining 1/2 cup of semisweet chocolate pieces and pecan pieces.  

Because I used the Bakers Semisweet Chocolate Squares, I had to break them up using a knife before using them in this recipe.  You could easily use chocolate chips too.

Once the frosting is completely cooled, cut the brownies into bars.

They're oh-so-chocolatey and rich!  

Serve with ice cream if you like. 

I'm joining Amy over at New Nostalgia's Anti-Procrastination Tuesday

 and

All Things Inspired at All Things Heart and Home