Frankenmint Brownies

I fell in love with these cute monster-inspired brownies from the October 2011 issue of Vegetarian Times. But I didn't quite trust their brownie recipe. Instead, I turned to the queens of vegan baked goods--Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero--and used their Deluxe Cocoa Brownies from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar as the base. I used the Veg Times recipe for the frosting because it was similar to what Isa and Terry usually do. (Recipes for both below.)

On my first try, the frosting was too thick, and the faces weren't smooth.

I added a bit more soymilk to get a smoother frosting.

It was a bit of a pain to draw on the faces, but it's Halloween, which is always worth the effort. And they tasted absolutely awesome. The brownies were moist and just wonderful on their own, but the mint frosting added an "oh my god these are amazing" factor.

Frankenmint Brownies
Adapted from Vegetarian Times
Makes 12

Brownies (from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar)

• 3 ounces firm silken tofu, like Moi-Nu (1/4 of the package)
• 1/4 cup nondairy milk
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Frosting & Decoration

• 2 Tbs. vegan margarine, softened
• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1 1/2 Tbs. soymilk
• 1 1/2 tsp. mint extract
• 1–2 drops green food coloring
• Tube of black gel frosting

1. Preheat oven to 325F. Line an 8X8 brownie pan with parchment paper; it should cover the bottom and curve up and cover the sides.
2. Puree the tofu, nondairy milk, and oil in a blender of food processor until smooth and fluffy. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides to make sure you get everything.
3. Transfer the tofu mixture to a mixing bowl. Use a fork to vigorously mix in the sugar. Add vanilla.
4. Sift in the flower, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Use a spatula to fold and mix batter until smooth. Transfer the batter to a the pan and smooth out the top. 
5. Bake for 30 to 32 minutes, remove the pan from the oven, and let cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing. 
6. Once cool, trim edges and cut into 12 rectangles. Trim corners off 1 short side of each rectangle to create chins.
7. To make frosting: Beat margarine and 1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar in bowl. Stir in soymilk, mint extract, and food coloring. Beat in remaining confectioners’ sugar.
8. To make decoration: Mix some of the frosting with black tube frosting. If you can find pre-made black frosting in a thin enough tube, go for it. Mine wasn't thin enough to draw small lines, so I mixed it with the regular frosting, filled a pastry bag, and piped it on using the smallest decorating tip I had.
9. Spread green frosting on cooled brownies. Draw faces with black frosting.