Football Brownies in 30 Minutes

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line an 8x8 inch pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides. Note: The overhang acts as a handle for easy removal.
2. Whisk the melted butter and granulated sugar together until combined, then stir in the eggs and vanilla extract until the batter looks glossy.
3. Sift in the cocoa powder, flour, and salt. Fold gently with a spatula just until no streaks of flour remain. Note: Stop mixing the second it's combined to avoid a cakey texture.
4. Spread the batter evenly into the pan and bake for 20 minutes until the edges are set but the center remains slightly soft.
5. Remove from the oven and let the pan sit on a wire cooling rack for 30 minutes.
6. Lift the brownies out using the parchment handles and refrigerate the entire slab for at least 2 hours to firm up the fats.
7. Use an oval cookie cutter or a sharp knife to cut the chilled brownies into football shapes, trimming corners into rounded ovals.
8. Gently pinch the two ends of each oval to create a slight point. Note: Do this while they are still cold so they don't smudge.
9. Mix powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla extract until smooth, then pipe laces onto each brownie.