My husband and I have been having a few of the same “discussions” our whole marriage: 1) the fact that he is seemingly incapable of throwing anything away. 2) the fact that I can’t ever remember where _________ is/are (insert your item of choice here–keys, pens, immunization cards, my purse, my cell phone, the house phone, my engagement ring…well, the engagement ring thing only happened once, but it was a tense couple of hours. Turns out I’d used it as a bookmark the night before when I was falling asleep reading. Tip: for the sake of your relationship, never use your engagement ring as a bookmark.) 3) the fact that I love folksy rock music that he finds pretentious and that he likes Katy Perry for more than her voluminous bosoms (not that liking her for her bosoms is any better). And 4) the fact that I like chocolate, but I only eat/make chocolate desserts maybe 50% of the time whereas for him, if there’s not chocolate in his dessert, it’s automatically knocked down a few pegs. I mean, this is the man who makes his root beer floats with chocolate ice cream.
So imagine my shock and, I’ll admit it, a little bit of horror when we had these Mississippi Mud Brownies not too long ago and he told me they were…wait for it…too chocolatey. *Gasp* What was more shocking was that I completely loved them and did not think they were too chocolatey and that when they were coupled with a Diet Coke, they formed the New Breakfast of Champions.
What was bad is that I tried adding a graham cracker crust (which ended up not being a great idea–let’s not mess with perfection here) and I thought it would be weird to send my husband to work with a big pan of brownies along with instructions to scrape off the bottom layer, so I was stuck with a whole 9×13″ pan of the most devilishly awesome brownies that my life partner had deemed “too chocolatey.” I finally had to just fill the whole rest of the pan with water so I’d stop cutting off a little corner every time I walked by (which ends up being quite often when you’re a food blogger).
It starts out with a really fabulous brownie recipe. You’ll need all-purpose flour, sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking powder, salt,
melted butter, eggs, and vanilla.
The recipe I use calls for chopped pecans, but I think nuts in brownies are an abomination, so I replaced them with dark chocolate chunks. Of course.
Preheat your oven to 350. Lightly grease a 9×13″ pan and set it aside.
Combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer.
Pop the sticks of butter into the microwave,
melt it, lightly beat the eggs, and add those to the flour mixture along with the vanilla. Spread the batter into the prepared pan
and bake it for 25-40 minutes or until a pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Now…there’s been a little debate about how long these brownies need to bake, and unfortunately, I don’t have the perfect answer. Here are the facts:
-These brownies should be very moist and fudgy.
-The original recipe says to bake them for 30 minutes.
-I am essentially at sea-level and bake these is a glass Pyrex 9×13 pan.
-At 25 minutes (because I always check a few minutes before they’re supposed to be done), my brownies were JUST starting to firm up around the very, very edges of the pan and were completely liquid inside.
-I checked them every five minutes and they were done in the 45-50 minute range.
-Other people have had them come out dry at 30-35 minutes.
I wish, wish, wish I could give you a more accurate baking time, but there are just too many variables. I do know that if you’re baking them in a metal pan, they’ll take less time, especially if it’s a dark metal pan. Usually things at a low elevation bake faster, but apparently not in this case. Bottom line is that there are so many variables in the science of baking, many of which we’re generally not aware of and can vary from day to day, so while it’s a pain, until you know how your oven and baking equipment bakes these brownies, you should start checking on them around 25-30 minutes and keep checking every 5 until the toothpick just BARELY comes out clean.
Any-who. When the brownies are done, take some marshmallows and spread them over the hot brownies.
Have you seen those flat marshmallows from Kraft? They are awesome (and Kraft is totally not paying me to say that).
I like them so much better than mini marshmallows because they’re already in the shape that you want them for brownies, but if mini marshmallows are all you have, you’ll need about 3 cups of them.
Pop the pan back into the oven and bake it just long enough for the marshmallows to puff up.
Allow the brownies to cool completely. While they’re cooling, we get to the naughtiest part of the brownies:
Oh, goodness, Tim Riggins what are you doing here in my blog post? No, seriously, like Tim Riggins, the frosting is totally the, “Oh, no, I shouldn’t, thank you, please, can I have some more?” part of these brownies.
You’ll need powdered sugar, more cocoa powder, more butter, more vanilla, and evaporated milk, which is a GREAT way to add richness to frostings without adding a ton of calories. But seriously, who’s counting at this point??
Melt the butter and then combine it with the rest of the ingredients and beat with an electric mixer until it’s light and fluffy. Then, when the brownies are cool, spread it all over the marshmallow layer.
These can be kind of a pain to cut, especially getting the first few out, but just take your time and make firm, straight-down cuts (to make sure the marshmallows are getting cut), wiping the blade often. A plastic knife (just the disposable kind) actually works better than just about anything else.
This recipe makes about 24 brownies, which will mean 24 brand-new best friends. Well, 23, unless you count yourself.
Mississippi Mud Brownies (Tim Riggins Brownies)
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 40
- Yield: 24
Description
These Mississippi Mud Brownies are affectionately referred to as Tim Riggins Brownies because they are extra in every way and so bad but so, so good.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, lightly spooned into measuring cups and leveled with a knife
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoons table salt
1 cup (2 sticks) melted butter (no substitutions)
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks
3 cups mini marshmallows (or enough flat marshmallows to cover a 9×13″ pan)
FROSTING
1/2 cup melted butter
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup evaporated milk or whole milk
1 pound powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease (and flour, if desired) a 9×13″ pan and set aside.
- Combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer. Add the melted butter, whisked eggs, and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for about 3 minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally. Add in the chocolate chips and spread the batter in the prepared pan. Bake for 25-40 minutes (or a little less if using a metal pan; please check out the notes on baking times in the post because they can vary as wildly as a drunken party at Tim Riggins’ house) or until a pick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out clean.
- When the brownies are done, remove from the oven and spread the marshmallows on top. Return the pan to the oven for 2-3 minutes or until the marshmallows are puffed. Remove from oven and cool completely.
- While the brownies are cooling, beat together the frosting ingredients on high speed until light and fluffy. Spread over the cooled brownies and cut into squares. Makes about 24 brownies.
Oh my I just got to make me some of these!! I seriously love your sense of humor. Not only do you have great recipes but your blog is so fun to read!!!
I was searching you website for desserts with Dolce de Leche, because we had some sitting around and my husband loves it!! Well I found your recipe to make it but no recipes with dolce de leche as an ingredient…..But then I saw this recipe and decided to get creative! I used the brownie recipe from this post and poured 1/2 into my pan and then dropped the dolce de leche in spoonfuls and marbled it, poured the rest of the brownie batter and then did more dolce de leche marbled on top!!! They were delicious!!!!! Thanks for having an amazing brownie recipe on here for me to use, and if you are ever up for some chocolatey, carmely chewy amazingness, you could give it a shot too!!!
These are awesome. Verrry rich though, so have some milk on hand! Did you know a similar recipie is actually on the back of those flat marshmallows? It uses boxed brownines and no icing, suggests drizzling melted chocolate on top instead. But icing is waaaaay better!!! They are a pain to cut, so much so that one of my brownies looked very ugly, so I just HAD to eat that one and save the rest for coworkers. hahaha. Love your stuff, I keep begging for the cookbook at my library but I don’t think it’s coming. 🙁
These are amazing! I’m looking for excuses to make them now . . . The brownie recipe itself is good, without all of the other stuff, if you’re just looking for a brownie recipe. I love all of the other stuff, too, though. I didn’t have chocolate chips one time, and it was still fantastic. Leaving out those might help those who might think they’re too chocolatey. I only had half the amount of marshmallows once, and I might have actually preferred it. Both are good. And ladies, never worry about an ugly corner . . . that’s your excuse to eat some right away.
Oh. My. Goodness. These brownies look AMAZING!! However, this post has also made me so very sad, because I currently have no oven to bake in. We are at the tail end of a kitchen remodel, and our oven isn’t hooked up yet **sadface** I am also pregnant, and now craving some gooey, fudgey, brownie deliciousness, and have no way to make that happen. Note to pregnant self- stop perusing food blogs- they only lead to cravings and no good can come from that! 🙂 Seriously though- once our oven is hooked up, these brownies are the first thing I’m making!!
I bawled my eyes out, too! I feel like the characters HAVE to be real…If Dillon were a real town, you can bet money we’d be checkin out the scene. I was SO sad when it ended. And I love Timmy.
I made these this weekend (okay, I kinda cheated because I was in a hurry and used a box brownie mix) with some homade vanila ice cream and they were Fab! However, being Tim Riggin brownies how could they not?! Thanks for sharing.
I am smack in the middle of making these right now and oh. My. The smell alone just makes me want to dive in hands first and lick it right up!! Yum!!!! Can’t wait to taste them for real!!!
I’m not a huge fan of sweet stuff, as I much prefer salty and crunchy but OH MY these brownies – for their name alone – grabbed my attention! I can TOTALLY support the Tim Riggins theory!
This will be my first recipe from your site… so excited. Making two batches – one for a potluck and one for my hubby to bring into work. The brownie rose up quite a bit. With the marshmallows it almost is the height of the pan. Waiting for them to cool so we can frost them. Trying to hold off from picking off a couple of the toasted marshmallows while waiting… yum! 🙂
I can’t wait to try these! I adore how Tim Riggins is ALWAYS referred to as Tim Riggins…not Tim, not Riggins…Tim Riggins.
This inspired me to make brownies from scratch for the first time ever, and now I’m a believer. These were ah-mazing! And yes I ate them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for about 3 days straight =)
No WAY!!! I just tried to make smores cupcakes (which the graham crust ruined too!) but this is what I really wanted all along. Thank you thank you for the deliciousness! I can’t wait to make them.
yikes are this amazing or what! i am so glad i had ALL of the ingredients in my cupboards…oh and i just had to announce the wow factor to my facebook friends! thanks for the yummy treat! they were great!
Bless your heart! I found this recipe on a Friday Night Lights blog. You win. These will forever be a part of my kitchen as the Tim Riggins brownies. We should do a whole line of brownies for the boys. Jason Street? Matt Saracen? Smash? Vince? Tinker? Luke? Oh shoot… now I’m thinking I’ll just make up a whole FNL menu! 🙂
Oh. My. Gosh. We must create an entire FNL menu. Also, I checked out your website and there are not words to describe the jealousy I have for the signed picture of four of my favorite characters from that show. Kind of like Harry Potter, I can’t talk about Matt Saracen without crying.
Quick question, how do you store these? I can’t wait to try them.
Just cover the plate/pan with foil and they’ll get better every day! 🙂
Hi! Love your blog, love your photos, love your recipes.
My brownies also turned out quite dry. The recipe says to bake them for 40-50 minutes but “a little less” if using a metal pan…I set my timer for 35 minutes thinking that this was “a little less,” and am not happy with the results. Advice to another poster with dry brownies is to start checking them at 25 minutes? That’s half the total recommended time and goes beyond a “variable.” I would adjust the recipe to say to start checking the brownies at 25 minutes – always better to be specific. I bake all the time (and am fairly good at it) but would never start checking for doneness that early the first time through on a recipe.
They’re still edible, certainly, but melikes a fudgier brownie. The frosting recipe is a keeper for lots of other purposes – proportions are perfect and it was so quick.
I started checking mine at 30 minutes and they were literally still liquid. It’s truly impossible for me to account for every different baking situation, but I’m very sorry yours came out dry.
Two things: 1) I’m realizing that I am totally missing out by not having watched FNL and that I finally have to admit to my cousin that I am giving in and will be watching season 1 tonight. 2) You’re saying my weak attempt at losing my baby weight (I’m still clinging to the fact my baby is ONLY six months old and thus, my lame excuse for still looking like I’m pregnant) will have to be put on hold AGAIN because these will be in my belly tonight. Thank you for my AHA moment of the day.
P.S. For some reason, when I tried to print the brownies itself, no ready-made-Tim-Riggins-sinful brownie popped out of my printer. You need to get on that ASAP! ;p
First of all. Hi! I’m so glad to see you over here! Now, yes, you are totally missing out and are having the same realization that I did and it will change your life. Also, I have lots of weak attempts at “baby” weight loss that I blame on Tim Riggins. Only my baby is 4. Finally, we’ve got our web designer working on getting a Tim Riggins to pop out of the printer, and I’m hoping we can get a Coach Taylor version as well. 🙂
I shall call them “Derek Jeter” brownies!
Jan, that totally works because on the show, Tim’s on-again off-again girlfriend is Derek Jeter’s real-life girlfriend. So we’re coming full-circle here.
Sign me up for your breakfast of champions! That makes my eggs looks lame;)
Yummy Brownies + Yummy Tim Riggins…another reason to smile!
I totally laughed at the breakfast of champions thing. I would NEVER do that I thought blithely. Next morning, I made yucky experimental apple pancakes, and that pan of mud brownies were what saved me. Okay, I did drink milk instead. Thank goodness I halved the recipe and made a 9×9 only. Just a side note. Don’t get to anxious for your marshmallows to melt and turn on the broiler. 6 inches of smoking, charred marshies is NOT worth it! I had to scape it off and start over. Which took WAY longer in the end.
So you had me at the part where sticking nuts in brownies is a total abomination! But then I kept reading and my mouth is now watering wanting these brownies! I just heard about your blog from a friends facebook and had to check it out! I think you will be a great life saver from getting away from the same ol’ same ol’ every day food I make! Thanks!
Well, I made this and it turned out delicious. The only downside was that the brownie was kinda dry, which is a brownie no-no in my book. My oven does cook a little hot, I baked them for 35 minutes and they were completely done, but do you have any hints for keeping them more moist? Thanks!
Yeah, they definitely shouldn’t be dry at ALL. Take a look at my brownies before I frosted them and you’ll see, like, 52 holes from checking my brownies, haha! This is what makes baking so tricky–there are just so many variables, you know? Next time, I’d start checking around 25 minutes to see how they’re coming along.
Mine were dry too (blech) and I took them out at 35 mins. Will try the suggestions.
Those look amazing! and ohhh Tim Riggins!!
I just LOVE your site and cookbook. I guess I go on and on about it to my family too, because my 10 year old started a blog this summer and she wanted to make something from your site. She made these brownies (with a little help form me) and they turned out AMAZING! http://busyizzy-busyizzy.blogspot.com/
Thanks for another great recipe.
I made these the other night with my boys and they were how shall I say it, delish!!!
I couldn’t wait for them to cool off completely before adding the frosting, so the warm marshmallows kind of mixed with the chocolate frosting, which was a-ok. We had them right after a very well balanced dinner and they were divine. They were still a smidge warm and ooey gooey. They taste the very best when you get all 3 key parts in one bite. When they are still warm it makes it much harder to eat and cut, but they taste so good. The next day they tasted just as good. Thanks for this.
I made these today, and they did not turn out like the picture. My brownies were much higher around the edges than the middle so the marshmallow fell to the middle. It was a gooey mess. What did I do wrong?
FABULOUS! I just made these tonight. Moist. Fudgey. Chocolaty. Awesome! I cried when FNL ended, it was amazing just like these brownies. Thanks for the Tim Riggins brownies!
My mom has been making these since I was a kid. They are the best!