4th of July Brownies

STEP 1

Heat oven to 350°F. Line 13x9-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, extending foil over edges. Grease bottom only of foil; set aside.

STEP 2

Melt 1 cup butter and chocolate in 4-quart saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, 4-6 minutes or until smooth. Stir in all remaining brownie ingredients until just mixed. Spread into prepared pan.

STEP 3

Bake 30-40 minutes or until brownie just begins to pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely.

STEP 4

Meanwhile, combine 1 1/2 cups butter, powdered sugar and vanilla in bowl. Beat on medium speed until creamy. Add marshmallow crème; continue beating until well mixed. 

STEP 5

Measure 2/3 cup frosting into small bowl.Tint with blue food coloring. Measure 1 1/4 cups frosting into another small bowl. Tint with red food color. Leave remaining frosting white. Fill 2 pastry bags both fitted with a large star tip with blue frosting and another with 1/2 cup of the white frosting.

STEP 6

To create flag design, pipe one column of stars, alternating blue and white and stopping half way down brownies (creating 6 rows). Pipe another column of stars; alternate blue and white stars opposite first column. Continue alternating columns of blue and white stars until square is approximately 1/3 of the way across brownies (creating 6 columns).

STEP 7

Place remaining white frosting in piping bag fitted with large round tip. Place red frosting in pastry bag fitted with same size large round tip. Starting at top of brownie, pipe dollop of red frosting. While piping, use piping tip and apply pressure from center of dollop, pulling frosting across. Use same technique for white row directly under red row. Alternate red and white rows until you reach bottom of bar.