Best Fudgey Brownies with Lavender Frosting

I've made lots of brownie recipes over the years. These originally came from a kid's cookbook, and they were the first brownies I ever made. I have re-made this recipe several times over since. I think the original recipe paired them with chocolate frosting, which is also a solid option. I made these for company the other day, and was asked for the recipe, so it occurred to me I should post it.

Brownies
1/2 cup coconut oil
1 cup semi-sweet dark chocolate chips
2 tbsp freshly ground flax seed (use a coffee grinder to get them fine)
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp natural vanilla extract
1/4 cup water
1 cup semi-sifted stone ground whole wheat flour (or whole wheat pastry flour)
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

- Preheat oven to 350 F
- Grease an 8x8 square pan
- Melt chocolate chips and coconut oil together. I do this by putting them in the microwave on the defrost setting for 30 second intervals, stirring in-between until liquid. Chocolate burns easily! Once melted, set aside to let it cool.
-  In a large bowl, beat together flax, water, sugar and vanilla. Add chocolate mixture and beat together. Carefully stir in flour and nuts. Mix until flour is fully incorporated, but do not overmix.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean
- Cool completely before frosting

Lavender Frosting
1 tbsp dried culinary lavender (could also use lavender tea)
1/4 cup soy or almond milk
1/4 cup fairly firm margarine (such as Earth Balance) softened
2 1/2 - 3 cups of powdered sugar
Food colouring (blue and red/purple) as desired - Apparently you can use cabbage for purple colouring. I should try sometime.
Finely ground culinary lavender, to taste (optional)

Heat the milk until it is steaming (microwave for 30 seconds works well). Put lavender in the milk and steep for 10 minutes. The milk will turn a bit purple or greyish from the lavender. Mix margarine and 2 cups powdered sugar. Add lavender milk, straining out lavender through a sieve. Mix frosting, adding sugar as needed until desired consistency for spreading (it will firm up a bit too when chilled). If you want a particularly strong lavender flavour, you can also grind dried lavender flowers in a coffee grinder and mix these in with the frosting as well. I like mine strong so I do this. I also add food colouring at the end because the lavender sometimes turns the frosting a greyish purple off-white which I don't find appetizing! Chill frosting.

When the brownies are cooled, frost with lavender frosting. Cut into squares. For extra fudgey brownies, chill before serving.