Pumpkin Spice Kiss Brownie Bites

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After making some scrumptious caramel filled pumpkin pie spiced snickerdoodles yesterday, I realized something.  As tasty as they were, I wanted chocolate.  They held no interest for me.  And after guiltily eating a few spoonfuls of nutella right out of the container, I decided I really needed to fix my need for a chocolate fix, ASAP.  I had some Hershey's Pumpkin Spice Kisses in my cupboard, waiting for some brilliant excuse to use them and so I started thinking about what they would go well with.  Eventually, after not long, I decided what I really wanted was brownies.  I took off on the search for a simple, yet rich brownie recipe, and came across Smitten Kitchen's My Favorite Brownie Recipe.  They looked simple, I had everything, and I didn't even have to pull out the mixer.  Win!  Since I wanted to use the Kisses, I thought I would portion control them and make individual brownie bites in a mini muffin tin, and this way each one could have a lovely Kiss center.  In 45 minutes start to finish, I was done, and enjoying rich, chocolately brownies that had a wonderful center that tasted like pumpkin pie cheesecake.  Win, win, win.

Batter in the mini muffin tins with the inverted Kisses before baking.

Pumpkin Spice Kiss Brownie Bites
(Adapted from Smitten Kitchen's My Favorite Brownies)

Makes approx. 40 brownie bites

Ingredients:

• 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, roughly chopped
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
• 1-1/3 cups granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 2/3 cup all purpose flour
• 40 Hershey's Pumpkin Spice Kisses, unwrapped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray two mini muffin tin pans with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In a medium, microwave safe bowl, melt the butter and chocolate together, in 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until the chocolate and butter are melted  and combined.
3. Whisk in the sugar, and then the eggs, one at a time.  Add vanilla and salt and whisk well to combine.
4. Stir in flour with a spatula until combined.
5. Using a 2 teaspoon cookie scoop, place a level scoop full of batter into each muffin tin cup.  Press a Hershey's Kiss, pointed side down, into the center of each scoop of batter.
6. Bake for 14-17 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the inner most brownie batter comes out with just a few crumbs, if any.
7. Let cool in the pan for several minutes and then carefully use a knife to pop each brownie bite out of the pan.

Mind Blowing Brownies (GF and DF)

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For my son's 1st birthday I made a bunch of desserts for the party (it was a dessert only party).  A few of my family members have dietary restrictions including a dairy and gluten free diet.  I asked them what sounded good and I was met with a confident "brownies!" reply.  I had made gluten and dairy free brownies from Gluten Free Goddess once before, and when I went back to make them again, the recipe had been updated.  It was the day before the party, I only had enough ingredients to make it once, but since Karina's recipes have yet to fail me, I committed 100%. 

I love rich, fudgy brownies.  I was concerned that these would taste like they were a gluten free version of a brownies.  OH. MY. GOSH.  I was so proved wrong!  They came out and my house smelled like heaven (at least what heaven would smell like for me if I could choose).  These are the most incredible, rich, fudgy, yet just enough cakey to be not outright fudge.  I have never had a brownie this good, and I will never make a gluten laden box recipe again.  This is now my go to brownie recipe.  If you like chocolate, you have to make these. I added some instant coffee granules to enhance the chocolate flavor, but otherwise did it as written from Gluten Free Goddess.

I can not stress how much you need to make these.  Seriously, go.  Make them.  Karina has brilliant recipes over there for gluten and dairy free needs.  Absolutely brilliant!  Someday maybe I will mess around with the recipe and make some changes, but I really don't want to mess with perfection right now.

I will warn you though, they are not health food.  At all.  Not even close.  Don't eat the whole pan unless that is all you are going to eat for the day.  Don't say I didn't warn you.  But truly, these will blow your mind to pieces.

*Note-If you are baking these for someone with gluten or dairy intolerance or allergies, please do your homework and make sure the ingredients you use are in fact gluten and/or dairy free.

MIND BLOWING CHOCOLATE BROWNIES (GF and DF)
(Ever so slightly adapted from Gluten Free Goddess' Dark Chocolate Brownies)

Makes 16 servings

Ingredients:

• 5 oz. dark or semi-sweet chocolate (I used Trader Joe's semi-sweet chocolate chips, they are gluten and dairy free)
• 1/2 cup organic coconut oil (I used Sprout's organic refined coconut oil)
• 1 cup brown sugar, not packed
• 1/2 cup almond meal (Trader Joe's)
• 1/4 cup brown rice flour (Bob's Red Mill)
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 Tbs. vanilla extract
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp instant coffee granuals or espresso powder (optional, but enhances chocolate flavor) 
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional, I omitted)
• 1-2 ounces chocolate chips for the top (optional, but looks so nice, and tastes so good!)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line an 8x8 inch baking dish parchment paper or aluminum foil (oiled).
2. In a microwave safe dish, melt the chocolate, coffee granules (optional), and the coconut oil in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until well combined.
3. In a medium bowl mix the brown sugar, almond meal, brown rice flour, salt, and baking soda together.
4. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix on low speed to combine, then drizzle in the chocolate mixture.  Mix on medium speed for two minutes, making sure everything is well incorporated.  The batter will thicken as it is beaten and will become smooth and shiny.
5. If you are adding nuts, mix them in now, and then spread the batter out into the prepared pan.  Sprinkle the top with chocolate chips if desired.
6. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until they are set, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with maybe a few moist crumbs.  The top cracks like a flourless cake, so don't fret when that happens.
7. Cool on a wireless rack.  Chill in the fridge for 1-2 hours before cutting if you want to have them cut nicely.  They can be eaten warm if you don't want to wait and don't mind them not holding together real well.  They will taste just as good.
8. I made these the day before my event, let them cool on the counter, stored them in the fridge over night, pulled them out 30 minutes before serving.  They cut beautifully! Taste amazing.  I stored the leftovers (the few there were) in the freezer, they taste great right out of the freezer too.

Double Chocolate Zucchini Brownies

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Sometimes what my toddler will eat surprises the heck out of me, like the fact that he has beef jerky radar and will be my husbands best and most attentive friend the moment that package opens.  Unfortunately when it comes to vegetables, his likes are limited to peas (definitely did not get that from me) and corn (I use the term vegetable very loosely).  He did however get blessed with my sweet tooth (sorry kiddo).  When I saw the recipe for Triple Chocolate Zucchini Brownies from Sweet Pea's Kitchen, I thought that maybe I could sneak some veggies in him (and my husband and I) that way instead. 

I did not have white chocolate chips, nor do we really like nuts in our brownies, so hence the "double" instead of "triple" chocolate brownie.  I am posting the recipe exactly as written from Sweet Pea's Kitchen though, because why mess with a good thing if you don't have to.

I made these in a 9x13 and cut them into 24 brownies just to make the calories less per serving.  Do whatever works for you, I am just used to thinner brownies.  They came out absolutely the most moist brownies I have ever had, were wonderfully chocolatey, and the zucchini was hardly noticeable, if at all.  I would love to freeze them and try them, I think it would awesome and extra fudgey that way too.  My son liked them and never said anything about anything green in them :)  If you have some zucchini laying around and a terrible chocolate tooth like me, this is the best of both worlds! Another win for Sweet Pea's Kitchen!

P.S.- Don't worry if you mix all the ingredients together (before adding the zucchini) and it is a very stiff paste.  Once you add the zucchini, there is so much moisture in them that a minute of stirring and you will have something that resembles the brownie batter we all know and love.

Triple (or Double) Chocolate Zucchini Brownies

(From Sweet Pea's Kitchen)
 
Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups shredded zucchini (leave the skin on and use the small holes of the grater)
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Butter the bottom and sides of an 8X8 inch metal baking pan (or a 9x13 for thin brownies). Put a long piece of parchment paper in the bottom of the pan, letting the parchment extend up two sides of the pan and overhang slightly on both ends. Place another piece of parchment paper in the same manner, perpendicular to the first sheet. (This will make it easy to remove the bars from the pan after they have baked.)
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, allspice and cinnamon; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, sugar, vanilla, and oil until combined, about 15 seconds. Stir in the flour mixture until just combined (batter will be thick). Fold in the zucchini, walnuts, white chocolate and semisweet chocolate chips. Pour mixture into prepared pan, spread into corners, and level surface with rubber spatula; bake until slightly puffed and toothpick inserted in center comes out with a small amount of sticky crumbs clinging to it, 35 to 40 minutes (about 32 min for 9x13). Cool on wire rack to room temperature, about 2 hours.
4. Using parchment overhang, lift brownies from pan. Cut into squares and serve.

Yields: 16 brownies (or 24 thin brownies from the 9x13)