I made some sweet, fudgy, scrumptious brownies this weekend. But, what makes my brownies different? I made mini, bite sized brownies and added some surprises along the way. 😉
THE RECIPE + THE SURPRISE
I found the recipe for these brownies on House of Nash Eats’s blog. She had great responses from her audience about her brownies, so I decided to give it a try. Her blog is also very informative and educational for a novice baker like me.
The first thing I do when I bake is rewrite the recipe. I do this because it helps me:
- Go through the steps before I begin baking
- Simplify instructions
- Make any tweaks to the recipe
- Read the instructions more quickly and efficiently. It helps that my recipe is right where I need it to be when I look up and I don’t have to constantly unlock my phone or scroll through my phone with messy hands to look for the steps. (Hint: Tape the recipe card to the wall so you have it in one place you can look at all the time)
- Keep the recipe forever. I add recipes that I like in a notebook, so I can always have it and refer back to sweet treats I enjoyed baking and eating.
My scribbles may be hard to read, so here are the directions from House of Nash Eat’s blog:
INGREDIENTS:
- 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- 3/4 cup salted butter, cut into chunks
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup chocolate chips
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a square 9×9″ baking dish with a parchment paper sling or spray with baking spray.
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine the bittersweet chocolate and butter. Microwave on high in 20-30 second bursts, stirring well between bursts of heat until melted and smooth. Whisk in cocoa powder.
- Add granulated sugar and brown sugar, whisking well to combine. Add eggs and vanilla, beating well either by hand with a whisk or using an electric mixer.
- Sprinkle the flour and salt over the brownie batter and gently stir it in with a wooden spoon or spatula. Stir in chocolate chips.
- Pour the brownie batter into the prepared baking dish and spread into the corners. The batter will be thick.
- THE SURPRISE: Add Reese’s peanut butter cups, Hershey kisses, marshmallows, etc. into the middle of the batter.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out mostly clean with only a few crumbs attached. Be sure not to overbake.
- ANOTHER SURPRISE: My friend told me about topping your brownie with raspberry jam. And boy, it was tangy, sweet, and delicious. Make sure to try it!
MY REVIEW
These brownies were delicious! They were fudgy and chewy in the middle with a sweet, chocolatey taste. However, these brownies are extremely sweet, so I was only able to eat one, maybe two, of my mini brownies (the ones that didn’t have any extra surprises added to them).
These brownies were delightful and will definitely be a go-to brownie recipe for me. Make sure to eat the brownies while they’re warm and if you don’t finish it all in one sitting, be sure to place in an airtight container. For longer lasting brownies, you can keep it in the fridge or the freezer.
Enjoy this sugary, chocolatey treat that will be perfect for a Valentine’s Day gift!
With Beauty, Grace, and Love
