Fudgy Peanut Butter Chip Brownies with Dark Chocolate Frosting

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly butter a 13×9 inch baking pan and line with parchment paper.    Melt butter and cocoa in a microwave safe bowl for about 45 seconds to a minute.  Whisk together to combine until  the lumps are gone.  Let cool and transfer to a mixing bowl.  To the cocoa mixture, add eggs, sugar, vanilla and water and whisk by hand until combined. Add the flour, baking soda and salt and blend until just combined without over mixing.  Add in peanut butter chips and stir until evenly distributed.  Spread into your prepared pan with an offset spatula.  Bake for 15 minutes then rotate the pan half way.  Bake another 10 to 15 minutes or until the center of the brownie seems set but not over baked.  Let cool completely while you prepare the frosting.  To make the frosting, melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave until just combined.  Transfer to a mixing bowl with a whisk attachment.  Slowly alternate the cream, vanilla and powdered sugar until you have a smooth spreadable consistency.  Add a pinch of salt if you prefer to offset the sweetness.  You can add more or less cream depending on how thick or creamy you like your frosting.  Spread over the completely cooled brownies.  I chill them in the fridge for about 30 minutes before I cut them.  You can lift the brownies out of the pan holding onto the parchment.  This makes for less clean up and no brownies sticking to the pan too!!