Milk Chocolate Cardamom Brownies with Vanilla Bean Frosting

Would anyone like a brownie?

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There are about 8,000 brownies in my house right now. It took quite a while to get this recipe right but I am so very happy with the final product. 

I really wanted to create a holiday brownie recipe. As I discovered throughout the development process, sometimes it is better for a recipe to subtly whisper "holiday" rather than scream it with bright red frosting and peppermint. I reiterate the word “sometimes” in my previous statement. I do love all things chocolate peppermint. And red frosting….with gold glitter.

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My perfect brownies are fudgy, moist and chewy with a shiny, crinkled top. I worked hard to ensure these beauties fit the description perfectly. I went with milk chocolate because it pairs perfectly with the cardamom. Speaking of which, the spice in these brownies is incredible. The flavor of cardamom is difficult to describe but I would use the terms aromatic, warming and spicy. It kind of makes you want to curl up with a big mug of chai tea. 

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A few important notes. This recipe is pretty simple, but be sure to practice patience in a few key areas. Use room temperature eggs, cool the melted chocolate mixture and wait for the brownies to mostly cool before enjoying. Also, while the recipe works with milk chocolate chips, I highly recommend using your favorite high quality bar of milk chocolate.

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Milk Chocolate Cardamom Brownies with Vanilla Bean Frosting
Makes a 8 x 8 pan*

Milk Chocolate Cardamom Brownies

Ingredients

6 ounces high quality milk chocolate bar, chopped

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes

1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

2 eggs, room temperature

2/3 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cardamom

1/2 teaspoon salt

Vanilla Bean Frosting

Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar

1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped out

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons heavy cream

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 8 x 8 pan with foil and spray with cooking spray.

In a small saucepan over very low heat, melt together the chocolate and butter while stirring constantly. As soon as the mixture is melted, transfer to a large bowl.

Add the tablespoon of cocoa powder and stir until the powder is incorporated. Allow the chocolate mixture to cool down so it is no longer warm to touch but before it starts to harden.

Crack the eggs into a small bowl and whisk for 20 – 30 seconds. Add the whisked eggs, sugar, flour, vanilla extract, cinnamon, cardamom and salt to the bowl with the chocolate and stir with a wooden spoon until all the ingredients are combined.

Add the mixture to the prepared pan and smooth into an even layer. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes.

When the brownies are done, lift them out of the pan with the sides of the foil and transfer to a cooling rack. The brownies will continue to cook as they cool.

While the brownies are cooling, prepare the frosting. Add the softened butter to a bowl with a stand mixer attached and beat on medium high for 5 minutes.

Add the remaining ingredients and continue to beat for another 5 minutes on medium high.

Frost your cooled brownies with as much of the frosting as you would like.

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Shop the products I used in this recipe!

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