Buttermilk Brownies (aka Texas Sheet Cake)

Last week, I had the privilege of serving several desserts at the official launch of Little Farm in the Foothills, my sister's memoir. She wanted to showcase ingredients from our community, including locally milled flour produced by Fairhaven Flour, fresh butter and buttermilk from Breckenridge Farm in Everson and rich chocolate from Bellingham's very own Chocolate Necessities. This recipe, adapted from a Better Homes and Gardens collection, produced cake-like brownies that simply melted in your mouth. We like to think the best ingredients had a little something to do with that. Folks down South would probably call this Texas Sheet Cake...hopefully, you'll call them delicious.

Buttermilk Brownies

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
1 cup water
1/3 cup cocoa powder
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 15 x 10 dish with baking spray; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda and salt.

In a medium sauce pan, bring butter, water and cocoa powder to a slow boil. Remove from heat. Add the chocolate mixture to the flour mixture. Beat with a mixer until well-combined. Add the eggs, buttermilk and vanilla, mixing for another minute. Pour thin batter into prepared pan.

Bake cake for approximately 25 minutes or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool slightly before frosting.

Chocolate Buttermilk Frosting

1/4 butter
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
3 tablespoons buttermilk
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted (or more to taste)
1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Bring butter, cocoa powder and buttermilk to a low boil in a medium sauce pan. Remove from heat. Beat in powdered sugar and vanilla until frosting reaches desired consistency. Frost while cake is still warm.