rocky road brownie bites + a {GIVEAWAY!}

I believe.

What’s that?

I said, “I BELIEVE!”

I believe that someone with conviction, truth, and a tub of butter can set you straight in this confusing baking world. One can get lost amongst the leveling, sifting, and kneading. In fact, as someone that doesn’t consider herself a baker, the thought of baking a cake from scratch makes me nervous like a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs.

When I got my mitts on Christiana’s new cookbook, Dessert for Two, all my stress, sweat, and tears, slowly melted away like milk chocolate over a double boiler. Christina, author of the popular blog Dessert for Two, has a natural and easy way of setting the stage for success in the kitchen. She invites you into her circle of love with stories found in her recipe instructions.

This cookbook was just what I needed to finally bid auideu to my black yeast thumb. I have never felt so giddy, ecstatic, and crazy stupidly stoked about baking since this cookbook arrived. Scouts honor. I adore the fact that these recipes are designed to serve just two, making them ideal for non-bakers with a sweet tooth. Not to mention, the recipes are written with easy to follow instructions.

I will admit that I had the hardest time figuring out what to bake first. Do I go with the snowball cake, Mississippi mud bars, or blackberry cobbler? But! When I laid eyes on her brownie bites topped with rocky road recipe, my heart skipped a beat. I LUVVVVV rocky road anything. And y’all know I whip for team brownie any day – so the fact that she combined the two, brilliant.

This whole recipe comes together lickity-split, which means you should get your own mitts on this epic cookbook right now! To help things along today, I am giving away a copy to one lucky reader. Yippppppeee! All you have do is leave a comment below telling me, what’s your favorite dessert to make?

***THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED. Congrats to Kim Porter #46!!****

Giveaway details: One US resident winner will receive a copy of Dessert for Two. The winner will be chosen randomly and will have 48 hours to respond. This giveaway will run from Monday March 23rd to Friday March 28th at 9pm MST. Good luck!

Congrats again Christina on a wonderful and delicious cookbook! MWAH!

Print Recipe

Rocky Road Brownie Bites

Yield: Yields 4 bites

Ingredients:

for the brownies:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus extract for greasing pan
7 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

for the rocky road topping:
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon honey or light corn syrup
pinch of salt
1/4 cup roasted unsalted peanuts
1/4 cup mini marshmallows

Directions:

the make the brownies:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease four cups along the edge of a muffin pan with extra butter. In a medium-size, microwave-safe bowl, combine the butter, sugar, and cocoa powder. Microwave on HIGH for 30 seconds. Remove the bowl from the microwave, and stir the ingredients together. It's okay if the butter isn't all the way melted when it comes out of the microwave, but once you stir it together, it should melt entirely. Add the salt and vanilla and continue to stir for about 1 minute to cool down the mixture. Add the egg and stir very well.

Sprinkle in the flour, and then give the batter about fifty brisk strokes, using a wooden spoon, aerating and scraping the sides of the bowl as you go. Divide the batter equally among the prepared muffin cups. Bake for about 15 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes before removing them from the pan to a cooling rack to cool completely. Note that the brownies may sink slightly in the middle if you under baked them to keep them gooey.

to make the topping:
Have ready a sheet pan lined with waxed paper or a silicone mat. Combine all the ingredients, expect the peanuts and marshmallows, in the top of a double boiler and melt over low heat (you can also pulse in a microwave-safe bowl at 50% power until melted). Once the chocolate is shiny, stir in the peanuts. Finally, stir in the marshmallows. Pour the mixture on the prepared sheet pan and let cool until it can be broken into pieces. You can put it in the refrigerator to speed things along.

Once the rocky road bark has set, break it into large pieces, and press gently tint the tops of each brownie bite.

All images and text ©Lauren Grier for The Curious Plate