Chocolate Orange Brownies with Ginger Chocolate Frosting.
I have never been a fan of fruit-flavored chocolate. Unless you count chocolate-covered strawberries.
I remember seeing those chocolate oranges in a local drug store when I was younger and begging for one. Remember them? I wanted to try one so badly. I thought they were just the coolest thing ever. And a big ball of chocolate? Sign me up!
It wasn’t until college that I got my share of a chocolate orange. Imagine, to my dismay, that it was hollow. What a disappointment.
And the flavor? Well it just wasn’t for me. I prefer my chocolate plain and rich. I can be quite the chocolate snob. And well… sometimes certain chocolate just isn’t up to snuff
I vowed to never eat chocolate + citrus again.
But then I found some blood orange olive oil. And I couldn’t stop thinking about it mixed into decadent, fudgy brownies, just like someone in the store had suggested.
No fear – if you do not have orange oil, you can do the same with orange extract and orange zest. In fact, orange zest may do the trick by itself.
And the taste? The flavor is mild, but at times slightly explosive. The orange compliments the chocolate with just a sweet hint of citrus and smooth tangerine essence.
In a word… I’m in love.
Chocolate Orange Brownies
makes 12-16 brownies
(you can also make boxed brownies and add in the orange flavoring!)
1/2 cup butter
3 squares baking chocolate
2 cups sugar
4Â eggs
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips
1 tablespoon blood orange olive oil OR 1 teaspoon orange extract
1 teaspoon orange zest
Preheat oven to 350.
Melt butter and baking sqaures in a microwave safe bowl. In the mixing bowl, cream melted butter and chocolate mixture. Add in sugar and vanilla and beat until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add in eggs, beating one at a time. Add flour and stir just until combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
Pour into greased 9 x 13 baking dish. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until just barely done. Cool before frosting.
(Note: You can still order some oil/vinegar and receive a discount using the code howsweet10.)
Ginger Chocolate Frosting
1/2 cup butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon milk + more if needed
Cream together butter until fluffy. Add sugar and cocoa powder about 1/2 cup at a time until blended. Mix in ginger, vanilla and milk, adding more or less milk depending on desired consistency. Frost brownies and garnish with candied ginger.
I didn’t mean for these brownies to look Halloweenie, but alas, they do. Tis the season!
81 Comments on “Chocolate Orange Brownies with Ginger Chocolate Frosting.”
Ok we LOVE chocolate and orange anything. And you’re throwing in some chocolate ginger frosting?! Swoon.
Wow! And the gifts just keep on coming! Seriously, Jessica, you come up with the BEST desssert recipes!
Thank you!
I never thought of combining chocolate and citrus. I will have to try this out for myself! :-)
I love chocolate & orange. Yum!
They do look very Halloween like and very yummy too!
I am like you, I don’t really prefer chocolate and citrus together. And since we share that same judgement and you have now shown me this I might have to give it a try!!
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Love this! Candied ginger is the perfect kick to these :)
Great idea for brownies! I love a good chocolate-orange combo. Delish!
These really are perfect for Halloween!!
I love those chocolate oranges, but I definitely think it’s a nostalgia thing. They were the cool thing to eat at my school too :-)
I love the chocolate and orange combo! Combined with the ginger in the frosting, these brownies must be an explosion of flavors! YUM!
I’ve never really liked orange/chocolate. I am okay with the bitter orange peel (I think it smells amazing and would be great candied) but not with chocolate. BUT that ginger chocolate frosting sounds veeeeeeeeery intriguing…
#1: great pictures! these are amazing!
#2: i want these, i NEED these, oh baby oh baby
I love orange and chocolate and ginger and brownies! This is my kind of recipe! Thank ya for sharing :)
“I’m in love”…that makes two of us!
I love orange and chocolate and ginger and brownies! This is my kind of recipe! Thank ya for sharing :)
I do enjoy the citrus chocolate combo. Raspberry chocolate is great too. These brownies look great, xo
You definitely weren’t biting into the chocolate orange- I’ve had plenty that are solid! I’m not a HUGE fan of the chocolate/fruit combo, but I like infused tastes. As much as I love fruit, dried bits in my chocolate are too much for me!
I don’t think I’ll ever understand how you’re not 400lbs with delicious things like this lying around.
I love chocolate and fruit together. It’s not as awesome as chocolate and peanut butter, mind you, but I do love it.
Are you talking about those ‘whack em and eat em’ chocolate oranges? I thought those were so cool but was equally disappointed when I actually ate one. Although they have a dark chocolate orange these days that isn’t bad! (BTW, the brownies look amazing!)
Yes! Those ones.
Chocolate and citrus is a awesome idea. I would love to try these right now! So intrigued :)
what?? why was your orange hollow!! get them at trader joes near christmastime and you smash them to break apart the orange “sections.” they are solid! (they also have chocolate raspberries too )
I always loved those chocolate oranges! And anything with ginger is pretty much fantastic
Please be my personal baker.
Yumm these look great! I too was never a huge fan of the chocolate orange, but the idea of smashing it against the wall (like they do in commercials) was what I was more interested in!
Blood orange olive oil?! I love it!
Hm…never seen a hollow one, but either way, I LOVE dark chocolate + orange together. One of my favorite local coffee spots has orange syrup so I’ll often get an orange mocha. Yum.
I’m happy to hear that someone else hated those chocolate oranges! Yuck!
I love the Halloween brownies :)
you know those citrus chocolates you find at places like CVS around this time?? I used to LOVE those! omg these look so delicious!
My mom used to get us one of those chocolate oranges every year for Christmas and then one year she didn’t have one after dinner..we all pitched a fit, but once we started discussing we realized none of us even really liked it, it was just part of the tradition haha These brownies might make me give orange and chocolate another shot though!
I don’t do orange and chocolate either, but this may change my mind! They look delicious and so festive!
Your recipes are SO creative. It’s amazing how you can take something as simple as brownies and turn them into a gourmet treat! This recipe sounds delicious – it reminds me of when I was younger and my grandpa would take orange peels and dip them in chocolate for my sisters and I :)
Hmmm, interesting combination. I am intrigued…
these look amazing.
chocolate oranges are SOOOO fun to open. but then the fun kind of stops there…
I would love a sneak peek into the intricacies of your baking pantry. And why do I carry some of the same ingredients in my own cupboard, but can’t pull off greedy creations like you do?? …..answer me, dammit!!!
I’ve never really been a fan of chocolate with orange but my husband LOVES the combo. He would be in heaven if I made him this.
These look amazing! I’m not a fan of fruity chocolate either, usually I like to just keep the dark stuff to myself, but I just might have to try these!
my dad LOVES those oranges… you know, they have so many flavors now!! I buy them for him every holiday :D
maybe THIS year I’ll make him THESE instead!! :D
you are the dessert queen, end of story! i dont love chocolate + orange together either but even these had me drooling!
yum….I wonder if this counts as a serving of fruit
I’ll trust you that this is good, but I can’t get into fruit and chocolate. The only fruit I allow near my chocolate is a strawberry. I’m a dessert snob like woah.
Oh my yumminess! This looks so tasty;) Love the frosting.
This looks gorgeously October! I am not really a fan of fruit and chocolate either, but these look SO decadent and don’t even get me started on that frosting!
Growing up, I too always wanted a chocolate orange. And then as I got into my teenage years, I realized they are disgusting. I hate chocolate + citrus too.
But if you endorse these brownies…. ;)
Those brownies looks fabulous! I like the Halloween colors! : )
Those chocolate oranges are hallowed?
I feel so betrayed!
Well, now I’m not sure. I thought they were but everyone commenting is saying they aren’t!
YUM! this sounds so good!
i love those chocolate oranges that you whack to break into slices.
pure love! I’m not much into orange and chocolate either but these seem delectable! I need to make these for my aunt, is her favorite combination ever!
-Amalia
http://buttersweetmelody.wordpres.com
interesting! i never thought i liked chocolate/fruit combos (with the exception of choc-covered strawberries of course), but then i was sent some fruit-filled chocolate to review and i LOVED it…so now i’ve changed my mind and thus these brownies look awesome!