Jamoca Almond Cream Cheese Frosting

Do you ever catch yourself saying something that you really don't want to say, but before you can stop yourself it has already come out of your mouth, and is hanging in the air, much to your chagrin? This happened to me. I chalk it up to temporary insanity. As I may have mentioned, after three and a half years on the market, our 121-year-old Victorian-style farmhouse finally sold. Now, during the last eighteen months, Mr. O.P. has been keeping the fires burning, as it were, at the old place, and I've been living it up, albeit austerely, at the new one.  I began to like it. A lot. Queen of my own castle has always been a dream of mine, a clear, clutter-free castle has been another one. Well people, all of this was dashed last week when the mister and his two hundred boxes of God-knows-what, plus his monster-size pieces of antique furniture descended upon me and, well, my house. It has been a logistical nightmare. He is Oscar to my Felix. He is hoarder to my declutterer. At the moment, living in what now looks to be a warehouse of boxes, lining the walls, startling my poor Subaru in what used to be an empty garage, filling the storage area in the basement to capacity (I pray that we don't overload a circuit because only a trained monkey would be able to reach the circuit box.), I find myself completely off my game.  So I suppose, with all of this mess it shouldn't surprise me that I found myself, mid conversation, inviting a group of people over for a party to watch Game 4 of the World Series! What was I thinking?

So, yesterday after stumbling out of bed, drinking way too much coffee, and carelessly brushing my teeth (I do think I managed to get every other one), I found myself in the kitchen, playing “Beat the Clock,” madly whipping up dishes to suit every palate. What I failed to consider was, umm, dessert. Between innings I remembered a box of Ghiradelli Double Chocolate Brownie Mix hiding in the pantry.  I stirred the ingredients together and popped it into the oven. Then I reminded myself that I have long wanted to come up with a chocolate version of cream cheese frosting. Half loopy with fatigue, and remembering (why, at this moment, I do not know) that my favorite Baskin Robbins ice cream flavor used to be Jamoca Almond Fudge (do they still sell that?) I created this one. Chocolate, almond, espresso powder, and cream cheese. All of my favorite flavors rolled into one. I'm glad I made extra because I have a midnight date with a bowl and a spoon. 

Give it a try and see what you think. You can pump up the almond or espresso powder, to suit your tastes, or eliminate one or the other, or both. The chocolate and cream cheese alone carry this delicious, easy-to-spread frosting that turned my simple brownies into something special. 

Jamoca Almond Cream Cheese Frosting

4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

½ teaspoon espresso powder

¼ teaspoon almond flavoring

½ cup cocoa (Hershey’s Special Dark recommended)

2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar

1-2 tablespoons milk

In a large metal mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, almond flavoring, and espresso powder until thoroughly blended.  Blend in cocoa powder.  Sift confectioners’’ sugar over cream cheese mixture, add milk, and beat until combined.  Spread over brownies (or cake).  This recipe should thickly cover a 9” x 9” pan of brownies, or thinly cover a 9” x 13” pan.

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