Pushing boundaries for brownies

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By Claire Kimsey

Dish up the brownie bites on a platter and if you are serving them for a larger party, put them on cake pop sticks for convenience. (Photo by Claire Kimsey)
Dish up the brownie bites on a platter and if you are serving them for a larger party, put them on cake pop sticks for convenience.
(Photo by Claire Kimsey)

Brownies – the go-to potluck and get-together dessert, which, if the traditional box mix is used, can be a little boring and bland. Next time you have to whip up a sweet dish, mix it up, and make brownie bites. This new spin on a seemingly typical dessert consists of bite-sized treats that will explode in your mouth with chocolate and the flavor of perfectly sugared cream cheese. Follow this recipe below.   Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8x8in pan.
  2. In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, stir melted butter, sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat in the unsweetened cocoa powder, all-purpose flower, salt, and baking powder. Next, whisk in semi-sweet chocolate chips. Pour batter into baking-sprayed pan.
  3. Bake in oven for 25 to 30 minutes, turning pan around halfway through bake-time. Do not overcook.
  4. When done, take out of the oven and let cool for 1 hour.
  5. After cooled, remove brownies from pan cut crusts off into thin strips.
  6. Put brownies in a large bowl (without the crusts) and mix with cream cheese frosting (recipe below) using an electric mixer. Caution: it will look strange, but once you mix in the cream cheese the mixture will have a moist and crumbly texture.
  7. Roll brownie/cream cheese frosting combination in 1x1in balls and place them on a plate to set for 20 minutes.
  8. If desired, drizzle melted chocolate over brownie bites and let cool.
  9. Enjoy!

Cream cheese frosting recipe: Ingredients:

  • 4 ounces of cream cheese, softened
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
  • 1/2  teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

  1. Beat together cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl using an electric mixer until the mixture is light and creamy. Wisk in vanilla extract, then gradually stir in powdered sugar until frosting is smooth. If the frosting is not sweet enough, try adding an additional 1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar.