Rocky Road Chocolate Brownie Bites...

...in our house we are suckers for chocolate goodies...especially most variations of brownies...so as we are visiting friends this weekend, I thought some brownies would be a nice gift to take along...but I wanted to up the stakes slightly, I wanted a smaller bite-sized brownie...and possibly one with a topping (or two!!) I remembered a "hot brownie muffin" recipe form one of Small Ones cookbooks, but it was more of a hot pudding, but I was confident that I could 'tweak' away at it until it was what I wanted...

...then I remembered Alex (the 8 yr old) asking for my post-it notes again...he'd marked up a whole load of recipes in some children's cookbooks for me to take a look at...

...so that's just what I did...wow!! we've got a lot of recipes to try out over the next few months!!! Anyway, as I was looking through that top book there in the pile...'Kids Kitchen' by Jennifer Low I found these....and they fitted the criteria perfectly...brownie-based...yup, chocolate...yup, small enough to be classed as bites...just about...did they have that all important topping...definitely....these were going to be the perfect thing to take along with us...and they looked easy to bake too....hooray on all counts...now let's get some baking done....


To Make 8 Rocky-Road Brownie Bites you will need:
*Dark chocolate chips, 1/2 cup  (you need ones that will melt, not the stable chunks)
*Unsalted butter, 60g - chopped small
*Vanilla, 1/2 tsp
*Plain flour, 1/2 cup
*Golden caster sugar, 1/2 cup
*Large egg, 1
To decorate them you will need:
*mini marshmallows
*chocolate chunks or chips
*some slivered almonds (optional)
You could pretty much pop what you like on top, just be aware that whatever you choose has to withstand about 7 minutes baking at Gas 5/180c (so nothing that will burn or melt to nothing)
This is a really simple method, after all, it's from a kiddies cookbook...


What to do...put the oven on...Gas 5/180c...then...

Put the chocolate chips and butter into a microwave safe bowl...melt them by microwaving on half power for about 90secs...check, stir and heat a bit more as needed...just keep checking every 10 secs or so...you don't want over heated, burnt yucky chocolatey buttery goop!! You want to end up with a silky smooth mixture...to this you add the vanilla and stir...

In another larger bowl, mix together the sugar, flour and salt...if you whisk it about a bit with a fork (or small whisk) you won't need to sift anything!!!

Add the chocolate mix to the flour mix...and give it a really good stir...

 ...it will look a bit grainy in texture, but that's just fine...

 ...add in the egg...(I had actually doubled the amounts...hence two eggs in my photo...you need one!)

 ...mix it well again...you shouldn't be able to see and egg at all...just a glossy chocolatey mixture...

 Make sure you've got your cake cases in the muffin tins ready...and using a tsp add the brownie mix...you don't want to overfill, these are 'bites' not muffins...so only about a third fill the cases...

 Pop into the oven for no more than 15 minutes...they won't be cooked yet, but that's ok we are about to add the toppings...but first of all you need to let the brownie bites cool a bit, until the metal tins are cool to touch should do it...

 ...then very carefully poke three mini marshmallows and a few chocolate chunks or chips into the top of your brownie bites...

...don't poke too hard, you want them sticking out of the top...

 ...back into the oven with them for another 7 minutes...by now the marshmallows will be browned and gooey, and the chocolate chips will be soft...

 ...leave in the tin for a few minutes before...

 ...popping onto a wire rack to cool...

...these are amazing while still warm, but my two have had them in their lunch boxes a few times and haven't complained...

...however, if you are feeling a bit decedent and do fancy them as more of a dessert, just microwave for 20seconds and pop into a bowl with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream...

Oh, and one last thing...if when you make them you think they feel rather hard and crispy...don't worry...once you bite into one you'll see how fudgy the middle is...