This is an old recipe from back when Spice Islands sent me a selection of spices to review. I was delighted to receive free spices and made the Spice Islands Aztec Brownies recipe from their site. It appears it is no longer there, but you can find my adapted version below.
Here's an old picture of the brownies. I usually try to keep hands and fingers out of photos, but I'll keep this photo since it's my daughter's little baby hands.
Spice Islands Aztec Brownies
You can halve the recipe and make it in a 9-inch square pan or use a 15x10 inch pan as the recipe calls for. The brownies are similar to Texas Sheet Cake, but a little more interesting. They are lightly spiced, not overly sweet, tight crumbed and fairly dense, even though they are soft and cakey variety.
Recipe
Spice Islands Aztec Brownies
These are cakey and similar to Texas Sheet Cake.
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 1 cup butter
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon Spice Islands Cinnamon Ground Saigon
- ¼ teaspoon Spice Islands Nutmeg Ground
- 1 teaspoon Spice Islands Vanilla Extract
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
Chocolate Icing
- ½ cup butter
- 6 tablespoons buttermilk
- 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 pound powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon Spice Islands Vanilla Extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- ½ cup sliced almonds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 15x10 inch baking pan.
- Combine flour and sugars in a large mixing bowl and set aside.
- In a saucepan, combine the butter, water and cocoa powder and bring to a boil.
- Pour hot mixture over flour and sugar; stir to mix thoroughly.
- Mix buttermilk, eggs, baking soda, spices and extracts in a smaller bowl.
- Add to chocolate batter and mix well.
- Pour into the pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
- To make the icing, combine the butter, buttermilk and cocoa in a large saucepan and bring to a boil.
- Remove from heat and gradually stir in powdered sugar and extracts.
- Beat with a scraper or wooden spoon until smooth, then spread over the brownies.
- Sprinkle almonds evenly over top of icing.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Katrina Lewin says
Your recipe looks delicious - I'll have to try it!
As for Spice Islands: I just bought their vanilla for the first time, and used it in one batch of cookies, the day after using store brand in a batch of the same cookies (my coworkers wanted more), and let me tell you, that stuff is awesome. The cookies were noticeably more delicious with Spice Islands vanilla, with every other ingredient being the same. I need to try their other spices.
Pam Shank says
I buy these spices at my local Kroger store and I really like them a lot too. very reasonable price & good variety. your brownies look great.
Lee says
Ok, thanks for the answer
Anna says
Joe, thanks! Lee, one reason I recommend buying a scale is because there's a difference in volume and weight. 1 cup is 8 fluid oz, but the weight of what you put into that cup varies. For instance, 1 cup of popcorn would be 8 fluid oz of popcorn, but would weigh less than 1 oz. For measuring flour, having a weight measurement is helpful because 1 cup of flour can weigh anywhere from 4 oz to 6 oz depending on how heavy-handed a person is with a scoop. So having an exact weight helps ensure accuracy. Grams are even more accurate than oz, but I'm in the habit of using weight oz.
Joe says
Lee - 4.5 ounces is about 127 grams. That is indeed 1 cup of flour (measured using the spoon/sweep method).
Lee says
you have 1 cup as 4.5 oz,that is not 1 cup measurments
Lee says
you have 1 cup down as 4.5????????????
Sasha @ The Procrastobaker says
WOW, these brownies look so gorgeously flavoured, lovellyyyy 🙂
Yet another Anna says
This reminds me of a brownie recipe using Mexican chocolate, IIRC, it's got almonds and cinnamon in it. I think I used a touch of orange extract and zest with mine too. So, so good. Thanks for reminding me to try this sort of thing again. I like the idea of adding cayenne, I'm printing this out. 🙂
I love Spice Islands chili powder, it's good stuff. Stores where I live just don't carry this brand, sad to say. (yet another reason to move elsewhere, LOL!)
Martha T says
These sound great and I have appreciated Spice Island products for a long time, just have to lower my cost sometimes. Thanks for sharing!
Robyn says
This looks very similar to Texas sheet cake, but with a spice upgrade.
Louise says
🙂 Maybe if I send Spice Island photos of my two cabinets full of spices they'll send me a huge box of replacements. I date everything when I open it so I know when I need new stuff.
Barbara says
Nice...I like the addition of cayenne, Anna. I have switched completely over to vanilla bean paste now.
Katrina says
I love the cute way you wrote this post.
So did the original Spice Islands recipe call for wasabi in the brownies?
They look good!
Joe says
Wasabi is fantastic in mashed 'taters!
pumpkinpie says
Your brownies look delectable! I recently tried the wasabi Kit Kat in Tokyo. Pale green in color, white chocolate with a slight wasabi kick.
Anonymous says
The brownies look great! I recently purchased wasabi Kit Kat in Japan. Green in color, white chocolate with a slight wasabi kick.
Cookie Sleuth says
These look delicious, and the frosting is making my mouth water! I think I'd skip the wasabi...
HeartofGlass (Chewthefat) says
Those look fabulous--I wish I had bulk spice bins at my grocery stores, but I will put this brand's recipe on my 'must try' list. The top of the brownie looks particularly beautiful!
Anna says
D, thanks for the link to your blog. I'll have to try your recipe too.
Cindy, thank! I just added it in. As for comparisons, Spice Islands is great because you can pick it up at most grocery stores and don't have to wait for it to arrive in the mail.
Sue, that's what I thought at first, but the texture is lighter and softer.
Sue says
These look great! The appearance of the brownie and frosting make me think of your Frosted Fudge Brownies. Wish I had seen this earlier today. I might have whipped some together and then taken them to share with the cyclists tonight.
CindyD says
I don't see the cayenne amount... How do Spice Island spices compare to Penzey's or King Arthur?
d.liff @ yelleBELLYboo says
These remind me of the chipotle brownies I made back when I first started blogging (http://yellebellyboo.blogspot.com/2010/05/bizcocho-de-chocolate-y-chipotle-and.html) except they used chocolate instead of cocoa. I really need to try that recipe again...or maybe try yours! I love a hot spice in brownies, it's truly unique.