Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Rocky Mountain Brownie Cups with a hint of Kahlua

Oh yes! This is not just a rocky road, but a rocky mountain filled with bounteous chocolatey madness. You'll get a hint of Kahlua but, you won't be thinking of that when you dive into a triple chocolate wave.

I was on a chocolate high after eating one but, I couldn't get enough of it. I gobbled one as soon as it was out of the oven and inhaled another after taking photos. Hey, I can't let the poor brownie I cut into for pictures just rot away, can I?

These tasted even more delicious after a baking disaster. I was down in the dumps after a failed experiment with cupcakes. Cupcakes! I know. Who can go wrong with cupcakes? I was heartbroken that the very love of my life had let me down. Truth is, I was the one that screwed up. I tried playing around with flavors and it bit me in the rear end.

Lessons learned: 1) never EVER make frosting with ricotta cheese (I don't know what possessed me) 2) never try to right the mistake of using ricotta, with your aspirations of mixing unique flavors a la Cupcake Wars and 3) when all else fails, MAKE BROWNIES! What's even better? Make them like cupcakes if you're in love with cupcakes.

Bon Appetit!



Rocky Mountain Brownie Cups (adapted from Ina Garten's Outrageous Brownies)
(Note: I made only a quarter of the original quantity in Ina's recipe and got 12 brownie cupcakes - regular sized not the mini ones)

Ingredients and instructions:

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 4 ounces plus 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips
  • 1 1/2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons instant coffee granules
  • 1/2 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons Kahlua
  • 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • A handful of pecans (I went easy on the quantity since I don't like a lot of nuts in my cakes/brownies)
For the topping:
  • 1 cup mini marshmallows
  • 1/4 cup broken pretzel pieces
  • 1/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place cupcake liners in your cupcake pan.

Melt together the butter, 1 pound of chocolate chips, and the unsweetened chocolate in a medium bowl over simmering water. Allow to cool slightly. In a large bowl, stir (do not beat - mine got a bit fluffy because I mixed mine with an excited hand) together the eggs, coffee granules, vanilla, and sugar. Stir the warm chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and allow to cool to room temperature. 

In a medium bowl, sift together 1 cup of flour, the baking powder, and salt. Add to the cooled chocolate mixture. Add the Kahlua and mix gently. Toss the walnuts and 12 ounces of chocolate chips in a medium bowl with 1/4 cup of flour, then add them to the chocolate batter. Pour into your cupcake moulds.

Bake for 12-15 minutes (bake for 20 minutes if you're using a sheet pan like regular brownies), then rap the cupcake tray against the oven shelf to force the air to escape from between the pan and the brownie dough. You know it's done if a toothpick comes out clean. Do not overbake! 

Once your brownie cupcakes are out of the oven, change the setting to broil, preferably at low. 

Mix together your topping ingredients and sprinkle evenly over all the cupcakes. Put it back in the oven for a minute or two till the marshmallows turn light brown. Watch it carefully because the marshmallows burn in a second. Mine nearly did in less than a minute when I set the broiler at high.


18 comments:

  1. I do like this version-yum! The marshmallows as well as the pretzels do amp up the flavor of these little morsels. The cup shape does lend itself to holding a lot of goodies on top too. Delicious post!

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    1. Heheh yes, the marshmallows and the salty pretzels added a nice contrast to the brownie! :)

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  2. oh tell me about cupcake disaster! I had once .. a very bad disaster with cupcakes .. I still managed to eat some :P
    I like the idea of marshmallows on top, something I never tried but would love to :)
    BTW your blog is gorgeous and so glad to find you !

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    1. Haha I still ate some of the cupcakes and put them in some kinda mousse mixture. It was all too disgusting to share though :P Thanks so much for your compliments!

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  3. again, beautiful pictures. what kind of camera do you use? your pics are so clear.

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    1. Awww thank you! I'm trying to improve my photography skills but, I'm still struggling with lighting since I bake/cook mostly at night and don't have the right food lighting at home :( I use a Canon Rebel T1i and I have no idea what type of lens it is. I just started using it and am still figuring things out. Btw, your pictures are beautiful and clear too! :)

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  4. Your photos are ah-mazing!!!!!!!! this recipe looks divine girly!

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    1. Thank you so much!! :D You've made me as happy as the brownies!

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  5. I like that we both used Ina's recipe. Great minds think alike! :) These look so delicious. The only thing better than a fudgy brownie is a fudgy brownie topped w/ rocky road goodness!

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  6. These are to die for. They sound delicious and my family would adore them. I hope you have a great day. Blessings...Mary

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  7. I've screwed up a few seemingly brilliant ideas myself! But the ones I've scored success on far out weigh the mess ups. I just love the combination of marshmallows, coconut, and pretzels on the top of these!

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    1. This combo was really Yummmmm, especially the saltiness of the pretzel pieces that complimented the rest of the brownie!

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  8. This is very cute! I am really enjoying your blog :-)

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  9. These are sensational - small, cute and packed with flavour!
    Wonderful post and blog :D

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru

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