Buttermilk Brownies

These are similar to a texas sheet cake, I was told. I got this recipe from my brother's wife's family (whom I just love and pretty much consider them like my family as well). I made TWO trays of these brownies for a church activity, and they were gone in an instant, I didn't even get one. These are delicious!

Brownies:

1 cup butter

3 Tab. ghirardelli cocoa (I don't know if they brand makes a difference, but that is what they used, and told me to use, so I used it.)

1 cup hot water

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1/2 teas. salt

1 teas. soda

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 teas. vanilla

2 eggs

Bring butter, cocoa, and hot water to a boil. In a separate bowl, mix flour sugar, and salt. Make a well with the flour mixture and add the butter/cocoa mixture to it stirring BY HAND. In another separate bowl, mix the soda and buttermilk, add that to the flour/cocoa mixture, also stirring BY HAND. Add eggs and vanilla in BY HAND. Pour into a greased jelly roll pan and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Let cool before frosting.

Frosting:

1/2 cup butter

1/3 cup milk

2 Tab. ghirardelli cocoa

1 teas. vanilla

1/2 pkg. powdered sugar

(nuts optional)

Heat butter, milk, and cocoa until almost boiling. Add vanilla. Stir in powdered sugar SLOWLY with a wire whisk until creamy and mixed in. Let cool before frosting.